The only drinking water available at Cité Plateau III is distributed by a few rudimentary fountains, fed by the same aquifer where waste waters also end up. Rainwater is also collected, which women store in old and dirty containers, as they do for the water that accumulates in the stone quarries scattered throughout the territory, also very often contaminated. In other cases, the mothers of families get up at 4 am to go and draw water from the wells of the neighboring districts, but this is not always possible. Thus the local population remains exposed to the risk of severe dehydration, which can lead to loss of consciousness, multiple organ failure and even death.
The project conceived by the Spiritual Sons of Don Bosco foresees drilling 100 meters to draw on a pristine aquifer to build a well, the installation of a submerged electric pump - which will be fed by 4 solar panels for renewable energy - the placement of 2 underground reservoirs and masonry work.
The presence of a safe water source would bring great benefits on several fronts: it would prevent the spread of diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, often fatal for children and pregnant women; contribute to improving children's health conditions, often forced to leave school to work, also due to water scarcity; significantly increase the quality of life of all the women in the neighborhood who would no longer be forced to travel for miles to get some clean drinking water, women often pregnant and in the company of their youngest children.
The well project will directly benefit at least 6,000 people, but at an indirect level it will do much more: the initiative provides for the direct involvement of the inhabitants of Cité Plateau III in the well's management, and an awareness-raising campaign that will be launched once the inauguration takes place to train the locals on the importance of personal hygiene.
For more information, visit the website: www.missionidonbosco.org
