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Our third project is a response to the Laudato Si’ objective to respond to the needs of the poor. Climate change has a significantly larger impact on the poor who are less able to mitigate its adverse consequences. Hundreds of millions of people throughout the world do not have access to clean water resulting in poor health and reduced life expectancy. Our ministry will conduct an annual effort to support a specific water project intended to provide clean water to a community in need in a sustainable manner. We have selected a partner to work with us to meet these needs.
2023 Lenten Project
Our 2023 Lenten fundraising provided over $16,500 in funds. These funds were used to support two water projects. As a part of this fundraising effort the children of our religious education programs came up with the idea of walking around Walden Pond carrying a bucket of water to gain some appreciation of what the African children must do every day. -
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Concord-Carlisle Catholic Collaborative, you made a gift in May that supported this specific water project in Kenya.
Come see how you're helping!
Elwakana Community now has access to clean water! Thanks to your donation, we transformed their spring into a flowing source of naturally filtered water. We also installed a chlorine dispenser to provide added protection and trained the community on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. This will provide a water source to the Elwakana Community and was the objective of our Lenten effort. This project was fully funded at $10,000 and was completed in the Fall of 2023. Their primary water source is Atitwa Spring, which provided sufficient water to serve the community. However, it was difficult to access because it is located in an overgrown and unprotected area. The water was unsafe for people to consume and making them ill from water-borne diseases. Women and children are primarily responsible for collecting the water. They usually collected the water early in the day before dirt and sediment was stirred up, mistakenly believing the water is safer to drink. Since the spring was overgrown with grass, they feared collecting water from the spring because the surrounding area was a good hiding place for dangerous animals and snakes.
The Water Project built the protected spring by excavating around the source area of the spring and then constructing a protective reservoir for water flow, which is conveyed through a pipe in a concrete headwall to a paved collection area. Safe water now flows throughout the year and the system requires limited ongoing maintenance. With the community’s involvement in the construction of the protected spring, there is a sense of responsibility and ownership for the new clean water source. The community is trained on the importance of treating the water and how to safely handle and store it once collected to prevent water-borne illnesses. Information on this project can be found at the website: The Water Project: Kenya - Elwakana Community.
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Second Project Funded (2023)
Borehole well and hand pump for St. Mary’s Chepsaga Primary School
This effort provided a well and hand pump along with latrines and handwashing stations as well as training so that the school can maintain the supply.
This project was partially funded by our collaborative and was constructed in June. Updated information including pictures and a video are available here: The Water Project: Kenya - St. Mary's Chepsaga Primary School
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