Students gather outside Don Bosco Ngozi High School in Burundi. (Courtesy of ANS Agenzia Info Salesiana)
Salesian Missions joined other humanitarian groups on March 22 in marking World Water Day, a United Nations-led commemoration to bring attention to the need for safe, clean water.
In an announcement, the Salesians noted that in addition to drawing attention to the universal importance of water, the day, marked every March 22, also advocates "for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. While serving as a reminder of the global population who suffers from water-related issues, the day also provides calls to action to prepare for the management of water in the future."
According to the United Nations, in 2022, 2.2 billion people "still lacked safely managed drinking water, including 703 million without a basic water service; 3.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation, including 1.5 billion without basic sanitation services; and 2 billion lacked a basic handwashing facility, including 653 million with no handwashing facility at all."
This year's World Water Day theme focused on glacier preservation — specifically on mitigating climate change and the need to adapt to the global problem of "the loss of glaciers to protect communities and ecosystems."
Among the water-related Salesian projects highlighted in the Salesian announcement is in Ngozi, a city in northern Burundi. The Don Bosco Ngozi High School has been working to complete a sanitation project which is being funded by a Salesian "Clean Water Initiative."
The project is installing needed water facilities, wastewater channels and other amenities for the school, which has 1,248 students.
Don Bosco Ngozi High School in Burundi is working to complete a sanitation project, thanks to funding from the Salesian Missions "Clean Water Initiative." (Courtesy of Salesian Missions, USA)
The upgrades will "play a crucial role in ensuring the health and safety of the youth who utilize them. Clean and hygienic facilities are essential for preventing the spread of diseases and promoting good hygiene practices," said a Salesian missionary, quoted in the agency statement.
"Salesian Missions has made clean water projects a priority in countries around the globe to address the need for fresh, clean water for drinking, cooking and other daily uses," said Fr. Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions.
"The Salesian Missions 'Clean Water Initiative' makes building wells and supplying fresh, clean water a top priority for every community in every country in which Salesian missionaries work."
Water-related ministries are common for many religious congregations, while some initiatives, such as the Kentucky-based Water by Women, are headed or were founded by Catholic sisters.
Salesian Missions is based in New Rochelle, New York, and is part of the Don Bosco Network, a worldwide federation of Salesian nongovernmental organizations.
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