UPDATE

Clean WaterQuenching the Thirst of the Poor

— Ethiopia and Bolivia —

Prepared for

Church of the Holy TrinityOctober 2020

INTERNATIONALPROJECTS 1657 & 3047

Special Thank You!Cross Catholic Outreach Gratefully Acknowledges

Church of the Holy TrinityFOR YOUR GENEROUS GIFT OF $17,574 TO PROVIDE

CLEAN WATER FOR FAMILIES IN NEED— ETHIOPIA AND BOLIVIA —

And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

MATTHEW 10:42

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Thank You for Quenching Thirst in Christ’s Name!Father Cronkleton, you and your parishioners are making a significant difference in the lives of the poor

when you give to Cross Catholic Outreach. For example, last Advent, when Catholics throughout the U.S. stood in solidarity with families suffering from a lack of safe water, your parish was a part of that effort — and your compassion empowered important mission work in two developing countries!

Your generous gifts are always a blessing; but when you added your support to that particular Advent project, it was even more important than any of us could have known at the time because it also helped Catholic missions in Ethiopia and Bolivia address the COVID-19 crisis when it unexpectedly hit early in the following year.

As you would expect, the pandemic had a major impact on Catholic missions in developing countries, and it was particularly dangerous in the poor communities we serve. It multiplied the sanitation problems already plaguing those areas, and the water scarcity common to impoverished villages made slowing the spread of the virus especially challenging. Hand-washing, bathing, doing laundry — tasks we take for granted but are often difficult in the developing world — could not be ignored.

There were other issues too. As the needs of our overseas partners increased, our ability to fundraise was handicapped by lockdown restrictions. Fortunately, your support helped us overcome some of those roadblocks as we moved quickly to tackle new challenges and seek additional strategies to support the poor.

Together, we proved that when Catholics stand together in the love of Christ to answer the cries of the vulnerable, we can overcome the most daunting of challenges. And the poor were blessed as a result!

In Ethiopia, you funded water harvesting systems for poor families in an arid, mountainous region.

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Colque Alta WaterRural Bolivia | Project 3047

In America, we can quench our thirst by simply turning on the tap. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, that’s not an option. There is no tap, no clean water to draw and no protection from the deadly waterborne diseases living in most of the local water sources the poor do use.

That’s why the work you funded in Colque Alta, Bolivia, has been such a tremendous help! Your gift enabled our trusted Bolivian ministry partner, Suma Jayma, to build 15 concrete wells with manual hand pumps, blessing 91 people with easy access to safe, refreshing water.

Beyond the obvious benefits of gaining this access to clean water, the project is also relieving the physical burden of finding and transporting water. Women had been trudging several miles pushing wheelbarrows loaded with heavy buckets of water, and you can imagine the hardships this created, especially for disabled and elderly residents. Now, with easy-to-use hand pumps, they have no problem obtaining clean water just steps from their homes.

Yuspagara means “thank you” in Aymara, the language spoken in Bolivia’s Andean Plateau. On behalf of the families you’ve blessed with clean, abundant water, we offer a resounding yuspagara!

Meet MargaritaWhen her three children are at

school, Margarita Calle Trujillo works in the fields, planting and harvesting potatoes, barley and quinoa to feed her family. It’s backbreaking labor; but until recently, an even harder task for Margarita was simply finding water suitable for her family to drink.

The closest source was a small river, but the water was salty. The next option was an old pit built generations ago, but the water there was far too polluted. So Margarita would walk more than an hour round-trip every day to collect water from a distant source, where the water at least looked clean.

When you contributed to Cross Catholic Outreach, you blessed women like Margarita and their families with clean drinking water just steps from their homes! For Margarita, gathering clean water is no longer a burden, and her family feels a renewed sense of joy and hope. Thank you for your overwhelming compassion!

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Rainwater Harvesting SystemIrob District, Ethiopia | Project 1657

In the Ethiopian town of Alitena, the water situation for the most vulnerable families is an accident waiting to happen — or worse. Women and girls, malnourished and dehydrated, lug their jerrycans across long distances, in most cases down steep drops, to then stand in line to fetch water from unsanitary open sources. When those sources run dry, they must trek even further or else go for a day without any water. Going at night is out of the question; it’s simply too dangerous. Even in daylight, vulnerable females risk being harassed and stalked by males looking for trouble. To make matters worse, after a mother exhausts herself and loses precious time gathering this critical resource for her family, she faces the high risk that the water will make her children sick.

The Daughters of Charity were working in the area to provide needy families with safe housing when they realized they could make a bigger impact by also addressing the water situation. Such water projects typically involve drilling new wells; but because of the impracticality of providing wells in this arid region, the Daughters of Charity chose a different strategy. The plan was to construct seven rainwater harvesting systems for seven families. In this plan, rainwater is directed from the roof into a gutter and downspout leading to a cistern, where the water is chlorinated and stored for use. This cistern, when managed well, can supply most of a family’s water needs.

Due to the remote location and a shortage of professional help, this effort was an extreme challenge. But by God’s grace, all seven cisterns have been installed, and the families now have a way to get water without leaving their homes!

Meet DestaDesta Hagos is an HIV-positive

mother struggling to support her four children on her own. Until recently, she lived in an overcrowded, unsanitary rental and had to fetch water from a spring heavily contaminated by animals or from a community well that frequently ran dry or sat in disrepair. This arduous task was a terrible burden for a woman in her fragile state of health.

The Daughters of Charity provided Desta and her children with a safe new house, then installed a rainwater harvesting system while also providing her with training in hygiene, sanitation and efficient water use. Desta is so grateful!

“I want to praise God because I had to spend my whole life in difficulties, but thanks to the Daughters of Charity, now I am in a good situation,” Desta

said. “I have my own home like everybody; I can send my children to school. All I have today is due to the Daughters of Charity’s support, and thanks to them I also get water around my home so I can save my energy and remain healthy. This is a blessing of hope for me.”

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Meet RahwaRahwa Abraha is a single mother of three. She is also deaf and mute. You can imagine the vulnerable situation

she was in, having to journey downhill to fetch water for the family. Thankfully, the Daughters of Charity were able to provide her with a new house and a water harvesting system so she no longer has to leave home to get water. Her father, who lives nearby, helps her take care of the house and cistern, ensuring that the family will continue to enjoy this much more stable arrangement.

In addition, Rahwa joined the Daughters of Charity’s microenterprise program and was given chickens to raise. The expectation was that the chickens would eventually lay eggs that could be used to eat or sell.

Meet Desta FissuhAfter her husband passed away in 2013, Desta

Fissuh moved to Alitena with her three children. As a widow without a good source of income, Desta struggled to pay rent, even though it was only about $5 a month, and she had difficulty carrying her heavy jerrycans uphill from the public water source. Then the Daughters of Charity intervened, providing her with a new home and a water harvesting system. The ability to get water whenever she needs it without leaving home has lifted an incredible burden.

“It saves my energy and I can assist my children now by preparing food and washing clothes easily,” Desta said.

Desta also participates in the Daughters of Charity’s microenterprise project, which is helping her become more self-sufficient. She is very grateful for all the support she has received.

“I will pray for the donors to continue to support women like me,” she said. “I send them my greetings. I felt lonely; I was suffering, looking for a house and work. I am very grateful that I can support my children now.”

On-site training for the workers.

Alitena’s mountainous terrain makes fetching water an arduous task.

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God Bless You!

Living Water Flows!Jesus said in John 7:38, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

Thank you, Fr. Cronkleton, for pouring forth the grace of Christ to help families in deep need.

Through your compassion and generosity, you and your parishioners have quenched the thirst of the poor, renewed their health, and helped them feel supported as they take on daily challenges. Thanks to supporters like you, Church missions in the developing world are able to meet the needs of the vulnerable and be a light in dark times. We are so grateful that you have continued to show solidarity with our overseas brothers and sisters even during this difficult year of pandemic concerns and economic turmoil here at home. Your focus on others and reliable support are inspirations to us all!

May his Holy Spirit continue to guide you in the way of love, and may you continue to remember in your thoughts and prayers the suffering of the poor, who are so dear to the heart of Christ.

He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.”ACTS 10:4