Cross Catholic Outreach is encouraging Catholics during Lent to address the suffering caused by water poverty in the world by supporting its Water for Life campaign. This effort has the potential to transform the lives of nearly 600,000 individuals living in sub-Saharan Africa by providing their communities with clean water.
Cross Catholic Outreach, a Vatican-endorsed, Catholic, global relief and development ministry, is leading this effort, along with its Catholic ministry partners in five developing countries in Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Eswatini.
“Lent calls us to draw closer to Christ by caring for those who suffer most,” said Michele Sagarino, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “For millions of families in Africa, the daily struggle for clean water is a matter of survival. Through our Water for Life campaign, Catholics can turn prayer, sacrifice and almsgiving into a tangible gift that saves lives and restores dignity to those who desperately need our help.”
Watch the “Water for Life” promo video:
Help Your Children Learn More About Helping Others
To help create greater awareness of these issues and focus hearts on the deep spiritual significance of Lent, Cross Catholic Outreach also has released a Lenten Activity Guide for children and families as part of its “Water for Life” campaign. The guide pairs Sunday Mass readings with weekly reflections, discussion questions and family activities, all centered on the inspiring story of Anna, a young Malawian girl living without clean water. Her journey helps families see how providing clean water this Lent can truly transform lives.
Cross Catholic Outreach wants to make Water for Life a reality by installing 197 water and sanitation systems, including new borehole wells and latrines. This doesn’t count the health centers and other services Cross Catholic Outreach hopes to help create in some of Africa’s most remote regions.
A gift of $99 blesses eight people with a lifetime supply of safe, life-giving water. Sagarino hopes Catholics will support this clean water project with their prayers and financial support.
Parishes, schools, Catholic groups, individuals, and families who want to partner with Cross Catholic Outreach to provide “Water for Life” can learn more about its clean water initiatives at CrossCatholic.org/clean-water.
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