Project benefits students at vocational training school.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Aug. 18, 2025) The Salesian Vocational Training School, located inside of the Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp in Uganda, has a new high-capacity water tank thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The funding is part of the Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative.”
Salesian missionaries living and working among the refugees at Palabek Refugee Resettlement Camp provide a range of educational and social development programs for the 93,000 people living in the camp. Most of them are from South Sudan, and 60% are under age 13. Salesians have been supporting refugees since the opening of the camp in 2016.
With so many people living in the camp, the current water sources simply aren’t enough. The new tank will help to provide water for the students at the vocational school and to the broader refugee population once the project is completed. While the tank has been installed, the current water pumps aren’t adequate to fill the tank. Salesians will finalize the project when the funding for new water pumps becomes available.
A Salesian noted, “The project aims to directly benefit more than 750 students and workers at Don Bosco Vocational Training School inside the camp. These populations, already living in extremely precarious conditions, depend on constant access to safe drinking water to meet their basic needs. The lack of sufficient storage capacity weakens the water supply, significantly increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. The tank, once operational, will address this critical need by improving the availability, consistency, and quality of water distributed in the camp. The project will also have a structural impact on the daily lives of refugees.”
Ozele Pascal, aged 32, is one of the beneficiaries who lives at the camp. Originally from the Alur tribe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he serves as a volunteer in agricultural activities, including crop cultivation and animal husbandry. He is also employed as a gardener at Don Bosco Mission Palabek.
Pascal said, “My hope is to see the community focus on sustainable food production through kitchen gardening and the construction of decent housing, including homes, latrines, and shelters. I wish for improved access to clothes and basic needs, better hygiene, and moral development within the community.”
He added, “Before the installation of the 150,000-liter water tank, we faced significant water shortages, especially during the dry season. Access to sufficient water for drinking, hygiene, cooking and sanitation was a major challenge. The absence of an irrigation system meant limited capacity to irrigate crops, which affected food production. When I saw the installation of the water tank, I was very excited. I thought the tank was enormous and recognized its purpose for water storage. I was happy about this development because it signified an improvement in our water access. I am optimistic that it will positively impact our community.”
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About Salesian Missions USA
Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.