‘Clean Hygienic Facilities for a Big Smile’ project to benefit 1,248 students.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Aug 27, 2024) Don Bosco Ngozi High School in Burundi* is working to complete a sanitation project thanks to funding from the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.” Salesian Missions is the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The school has 1,248 students but has not been able to keep up with modernizing and increasing the number of toilets, even though the number of students has increased each year.

The “Clean Hygienic Facilities for a Big Smile” project will install water facilities, wastewater channels, and other necessary amenities to ensure that the facilities are clean, safe, and hygienic. Work is half-way completed as of the end of July 2024.

A Salesian explained, “Before this project started, the toilet facilities were in a state of disrepair. The new upgrades made possible through this funding 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. By providing these facilities, we are not only improving the physical well-being of the youth but also their overall quality of life.”

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.

Burundi has seen more than a decade of violence and conflict which has contributed to widespread poverty, according to UNICEF. Children are some of the most severely affected by the country’s rampant poverty. Fifty-three percent of children under the age of 5 suffer from growth stunting caused by inadequate food, low-quality diet, poor infant feeding practices, poor household management of childhood diseases and the general decline of the country’s health system.

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

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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