A permanent source of water is ensuring the institute has the water it needs to operate and improving the health of students.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (July 7, 2020) Students at the Don Bosco Kilimanjaro International Institute for Telecommunications, Electronics and Computers, located in Arusha, Tanzania, have clean water access thanks to Salesian Missions donors. Through Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative,” Don Bosco Kilimanjaro was able to drill a borehole and test water capacity, build a water tower and install a new water tank, and supply and install a water purifying system.

Don Bosco Kilimanjaro serves poor youth and young adults, many from local tribes. Prior to the new water system, Don Bosco Kilimanjaro had to rely on water supplied from the city, which was not always consistent, especially during the dry season. A permanent source of water is ensuring the institute has the water it needs to operate and improving the health of students. The water supply also is allowing Salesian missionaries to cultivate the land so they can grow food for the institute and provide more job opportunities to local residents.

Providing a source of technical training for Tanzania’s youth, Don Bosco Kilimanjaro consists of a 15-acre campus that offers the most advanced training technologies in the region. Its innovative education model is based on a hands-on and student-centered approach to learning with full access to modern learning equipment simulating real world practical experiences. It is also registered and accredited by the National Council for Technical Education and awards successful graduates with a three-year National Technical Award Level Six diploma.

Like many poor nations around the world, Tanzania struggles to provide clean, safe water to its citizens. Nearly one-third of the country is arid to semi-arid, and people not living near one of the three major lakes that border the country have difficulty accessing water. Groundwater is the primary water supply throughout the country but wells are often few and far between. In many instances, wells are located near toxic drainage systems which leak into the fresh groundwater and contaminate it. According to UNICEF, as a result of a lack of access to safe, clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing, waterborne illnesses such as malaria and cholera account for close to half of the diseases affecting the population.

“From safe drinking water and healthy sanitation to agriculture, water is essential for life,” says Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “This water project in Tanzania, and others around the globe, ensure Salesian

centers have the water they need so staff and students can work and learn in a healthy environment.”

Almost one third of people in Tanzania live in poverty, according to UNICEF. While the country has seen some economic growth in tourism, mining, trade and communication, the number of Tanzanians living below the poverty line has marginally increased due to rapid population growth. In some regions, up to half of the population struggles to meet the cost of essential food and shelter and other basic necessities like clothing, health care and education.

To learn more about the Salesian Missions Clean Water Initiative, go to SalesianMissions.org/water.

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