Safe water for Turkana: a dream we can achieve together
In Turkana, one of the world's driest and poorest lands located north of Kenya, there has been no rain, not a drop of water, for nearly three years. To avoid dying of thirst, people are forced to drink the water they find by digging shallow holes in lake beds. But drinking dirty and undrinkable water on a daily basis creates serious health problems, especially in children.The Pope John XXIII Community wants to build two wells in the villages of Moite and Altuwo to provide drinking water for 3,000 people and about 500 villagers in nearby villages. To do this, it needs all the help it can get because the costs are so high: drilling a well alone costs about 20,000 euros. I chose to support this project because I think it is everyone's responsibility that no one is left behind. I was in Turkana myself in January and I have known the people involved in this project for a long time now. I really believe that what they are doing, day after day, is like creating a little piece of Heaven on earth. A small drop in the ocean, but one that can save a life.Water means life, but for people living in those arid lands, water is a mirage. Your help can make it real."When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when people dream together it is the beginning of a new reality" (African Proverb). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do and will continue to do for those forgotten by the rest of the world :)
Safe water for Turkana: a dream we can achieve together
Fundraising by Federica Invrea
In Turkana, one of the world's driest and poorest lands located north of Kenya, there has been no rain, not a drop of water, for nearly three years. To avoid dying of thirst, people are forced to drink the water they find by digging shallow holes in lake beds. But drinking dirty and undrinkable water on a daily basis creates serious health problems, especially in children.
The Pope John XXIII Community wants to build two wells in the villages of Moite and Altuwo to provide drinking water for 3,000 people and about 500 villagers in nearby villages. To do this, it needs all the help it can get because the costs are so high: drilling a well alone costs about 20,000 euros.
I chose to support this project because I think it is everyone's responsibility that no one is left behind. I was in Turkana myself in January and I have known the people involved in this project for a long time now. I really believe that what they are doing, day after day, is like creating a little piece of Heaven on earth. A small drop in the ocean, but one that can save a life.
Water means life, but for people living in those arid lands, water is a mirage. Your help can make it real.
"When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when people dream together it is the beginning of a new reality" (African Proverb).
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do and will continue to do for those forgotten by the rest of the world :)
3,114 €
100%
3,000 €
51 Donations
The fundraiser supports the project: A well to stop thirst: let's help the people of Turkana
Total project goal:
126.990 €
The Turkana region of Kenya is facing one of the worst droughts in 40 years. People are forced to dig shallow holes in lake beds to search for water, but it is dirty and undrinkable, causing serious health problems, especially among children. The solution is the construction of wells that can provide potable water. The total cost of the work is €126,990. Everyone's support is needed to achieve this goal. Your help now is indispensable.
Work continues...
1 month ago
“A brief but important update: In early April, in Altuwo, we drilled a well with excellent results in terms of water volume (50 cubic meters per hour). We tested the water quality, and the results showed that it is potable and not salty. On September 1—the date that marked the beginning of the Season of Creation this year—we installed the pump and the solar panels that power it. Now people have access to clean, drinkable water, although it is still located some distance from the village, pending the installation of water pipes. Over the course of the month, we will proceed with the installation of the elevated cistern (10 meters high and with a capacity of 50,000 liters), into which the water from the well will be pumped, two watering troughs for the animals, and the underground pipes that will carry the water from the well to the cistern and, by gravity, from the cistern to the distribution point in the village, where a special structure will be built. Work is continuing, and we would like to thank once again all the people who have supported our project, with the promise to keep them updated—because if all of this is becoming a reality, it is also thanks to them.”
Simone, missionary with the Pope John XXIII Community in Kenya
That's wonderful news!
06/18/2026
Dear supporters,
Today we have some wonderful news: the well in Altuwo, Kenya, has finally been built!
A few years ago, our missionary Simone Ceciliani brought us the cry for help from this region, where drought and climate change were depriving entire families of water and their future. Together, we took on this ambitious challenge, and thanks to your extraordinary generosity, what we could once only imagine is now a reality. Without you, we could not have done any of this.
Next steps: Our work doesn’t stop here. The work plan calls for the installation of the solar-powered pump and piping in August, followed by the official handover of the fully operational well to the village.
In the video, you can hear a special thank-you message from Simone, who reminds us of the profound meaning of what we are building together…
“I thank you infinitely for contributing to this project, because what we have done together is not an act of charity but an act of justice for these people, who are victims of a global system that impoverishes and marginalizesthem.”
We are truly grateful to you for choosing to make this important project a reality and for continuing to walk alongside us!
Heartfelt thanks from Simone and the entire Pope John XXIII Community
A huge heartfelt thank you to all of you
05/08/2025
Dear friends and friends,
we return to you after some time to thank you for your great generosity in supporting this project.
We have finally reached the amount of money needed to build the two wells, and we are happy to inform you that work on the construction of the first well in Altuwo will begin shortly, as soon as we receive the final permissions from the local authorities and when weather conditions allow.
We will start with the drilling of the well and then, within a month, we are confident that we will be able to complete the other works as well: equipping the well, activating the pump with solar panels, building the fence and the "Water Kiosk" for the distribution of water to the people who will benefit from it. Finally, the "Pacida" association will begin to carry out training and capacity building courses to the management committee to make them self-sufficient once the well is operational.
The reverse osmosis project in Moite, on the other hand, will be done at a later date, as soon as we finish finalizing the contractual and operational aspects with the company that will handle it.
We will update you on the progress of the work and hope to send you new photos soon. Again a huge heartfelt thank you to all of you for believing in this project. Without you it would not have been possible.
Best regards,
Simone
Update from Turkana
05/15/2024
Community engagement in the village of Altuwo (Marsabit County, near Lake Turkana).
The one held a few days ago was the second in a series of meetings to prepare the local community for the formation of the "water committee," or the group that will manage the well for drinking water that the Pope John XXIII Community will drill.
In fact, the village of Altuwo has no water to drink and people have to dig small wells in dry riverbeds. The water is obviously contaminated and unfit for human consumption.
Thanks to your donations, the Pope John XXIII Community will drill the well once permits are obtained from government authorities to thus give drinking water to the entire village 💧
We are very close to reaching our goal: help us once again by sharing our project with your friends! Together we can make it happen.
Thank you,
Simone
Thank you very much for your support and trust!
12/19/2023
Thank you so much for being there and for believing in a world that leaves no one behind! Thanks to your generosity, we have already surpassed our first set goal and by sharing this collection again, we can continue to higher and higher heights!
Thank you again for being part of this wonderful dream that has the flavor of humanity and justice!
Chicca
