As noted on the awareness day website, “Drought and desertification are threatening essential ecosystems across the planet, including freshwater ecosystems and soil, the connective tissue that makes all life on Earth possible.” The website also noted that only 0.5% of water on Earth is usable and available freshwater. Over the past two decades, land-based water storage — including soil moisture, snow and ice — has dropped at a rate of 1 centimeter per year with severe ramifications for water security and food production. This is also greatly impacted by climate change.
Salesian organizations around the globe are focused on environmentally friendly activities and education. Part of this was driven by Pope Francis’ 2020 Laudato Si’, which underlined the importance of education and training that will help youth foster environmental responsibility.
“Salesian missionaries around the globe have been adding environmental education and activities to their curriculum to help educate youth and protect the environment,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “From clean-up days to tree planting to using solar power for buildings and clean water projects, Salesians are ensuring the next generation is empowered to help care for the planet.”
In honor of World Environment Day, Salesian Missions is proud to highlight environmentally friendly initiatives in countries around the globe.
INDIA
Salesian institutions in India installed solar panels thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. Fourteen solar panels were added to the Don Bosco Media Academy, located in Manikandam, and Don Bosco Pre-Novitiate in the Dindigal District. Each solar panel is 540 watts.
The solar panels will impact students who study media and the youth who come to the Salesian campus, as well as candidates who are undergoing their preparatory training to become Salesian priests.
Felix is one of the students. He is studying a six-month diploma course at Don Bosco Media Academy. He said, “I never knew anything about videography, photography, Photoshop or Illustrator. Thanks to my studies, I know all these and I can use the software.”
KENYA
Sixteen specialists and facilitators who are focused on the environment attended a three-day solar training workshop in Kenya as part of Don Bosco Tech Africa’s Green TVET (technical and vocational education) project.
The goal was to build the capacity of the participants in developing and implementing new solar energy technologies and applying new solar regulations. Don Bosco Tech Africa has adopted a strategy called Greening Campuses, which gives learners theoretical and practical exposure to different skills related to the environment.
Dr. George Adwek and Cyprian Njururi organized this workshop to prepare the green specialists and facilitators as trainers on new solar energy regulations, technologies, and pedagogical approaches. The workshop also helped educate the participants on legal provisions governing the environmental sector and aided them in developing a monitoring and performance tracking tool to collect data.
VIETNAM
Villages in Vietnam have clean water access thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions. The projects provided water purification systems and water tanks for the Hoa An Parish in Bac Giang, the Khop village and Thanh Binh Parish in Kon Tum, and the Tac Van Oratory in Tac Van.
The Hoa An Parish has a supply of fresh water for more than 1,000 people. The new water system will also ensure clean water for the 100 children at the Salesian oratory and 20 boarders from the boarding school. Around the parish, there are many poor households with workers staying in rental houses. Ngo Thi Man, a factory worker, is benefiting from this project. With the money she saves on water, she can spend her salary on other basic needs and help support her family back home.
In Kon Tum, more than 1,147 people are benefiting from the water supply in the Khop village where there are poor families working as farmers. Mr. Rhađê, a farmer employed part-time to protect the forest, draws potable water for his family instead of having to get it from streams which are unsafe. He is supplying fresh water to his family and the crops while saving money that he once spent on water containers. There are also 2,700 people benefiting in the Thanh Binh Parish.
At the Tac Van Oratory, there are 500 people in the local parish and 80 boys at the oratory who are benefiting from this new water supply. Around the community there are many poor families who make their living by fishing. Tran Van Ngoc, a fisherman, has an unstable income and is able to draw water for free instead of purchasing water canisters to provide clean water for his family.
ZAMBIA
More than 300 residents of the Kamakuti village in Kabwe, Zambia, have clean, fresh water thanks to Salesian Missions. The project provided funding for a new borewell, water tank and pump in the village, which hosts one of the Salesian St. Mary’s Parish village chapels.
St. Mary’s Parish has four village chapels where priests meet people on a weekly basis for catechesis, prayers and sacraments. During the weekdays, the Salesian community utilizes these chapels for daily meetings and fellowship. Local women also use the chapels as meeting places and children’s preschools.
The villages lack basic services including water, proper sanitation and transportation. There is also a lack of education facilities for children, and people travel long distances to access a health center.
This is the first time this community has clean fresh water. Women and children will no longer have to travel a distance to bring back water to the village. Mr. Kasongo, a long-time village resident, could not believe that running water was now available. Another woman shouted, “Our children will live!” Children are often given the only water available from unsafe shallow wells, which can cause health complications that impede their growth.
