As we approach World Water Day on March 22, the global community comes together to reflect on the vital role water plays in our lives and the urgent need to protect it. This year’s theme, “Glacier Preservation,” highlights the critical importance of safeguarding water sources that sustain ecosystems, agriculture, and communities worldwide. At Misean Cara, we’re proud to join this global conversation by showcasing how our members’ livelihoods projects are not only transforming lives but also preserving water through innovative, climate-resilient approaches.
Access to clean, safe water underpins all sustainable development. It is essential for health, food security, and economic stability—yet climate change and overuse threaten its availability. Misean Cara Senior Project Officer, Don Lucey, has been working closely with our members across the globe to support projects that address these challenges head-on. From the highlands of Ethiopia to urban slums in Peru, Misean Cara members are implementing solutions that ensure water remains a resource for prosperity, not a source of struggle.
Take, for example, the work of the Spiritan Fathers in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. In this verdant region along the Ethiopian Rift Valley, the Spiritans have improved access to safe water for 2,700 households since 2017. By installing boreholes and innovative water systems to enable community access to safe drinking water, they’ve tackled issues like high fluoride levels in local water sources, which once caused health problems like dental and skeletal fluorosis. During a monitoring visit to the project, Misean Cara’s Don Lucey witnessed firsthand how these efforts have revitalized communities, enabling families to grow crops, raise livestock, and secure their livelihoods—all while preserving precious water resources in a changing climate.
Similarly, in Addis Ababa, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul are empowering 360 beneficiaries with small business skills, many of which rely on sustainable water use. Their project includes a borehole with a filtration system to provide clean, safe drinking water, countering the effects of a dropping water table due to climate change and industrial diversion. These initiatives not only bolster household incomes but also ensure water is used efficiently and preserved for future generations.
As glaciers melt faster than ever, threatening water security worldwide, the work of Misean Cara’s members becomes even more urgent. Contributing to more equitable access to safe water plays an important role in promoting peace, stability and prosperity. On March 22, we invite you to join us in celebrating World Water Day by learning more about the efforts of missionaries around the world to promote sustainable water access and use. Together, we can amplify the message that preserving water is not just about survival—it’s about building thriving, resilient, and peaceful communities. Let’s continue to support and expand these vital projects, ensuring water remains a source of life and hope for all.
Stay tuned to Misean Cara for updates on our members’ work and how you can get involved. Together, we’re making a difference—one drop at a time.
Salesians Don Bosco Secondary School – Nkhotakota, Malawi: fresh, clean, and readily available water for students and the school community.
Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, also faces a water crisis affecting more than 11.7 million people, with 1.7 million lacking access to safe water and 10 million without adequate sanitation. At a secondary school in Nkhotakota serving 330 boys and girls from the local area, the Salesians of Don Bosco saw the impact of an inadequate water supply on the lives of their students. Pupils were missing class due to water borne illnesses, or to help out at home by travelling long distances to find clean water for family members. The school’s single bore hole was also inadequate for keeping up with the clean water needs at the school. With funds from Misean Cara, the Salesians undertook a project to drill a new borehole at the school, build a steel tower to support two, 5,000 litre tanks, and set up a solar powered system for the tank pumps. Using innovative solar technology also adds to the quality of education at the school by promoting and instructing students on the practical uses of sustainable, climate friendly solutions in daily life. Local residents in the community have been trained on how to maintain and repair the tower and pump system, as well as the solar technology, promoting future self-sufficiency with the system.
