Having access to safe, clean drinking water is a fundamental human right. Yet millions of peo­ple around the world are forced to drink dirty, bacteria-infested water because of drought, war, or famine.

This year, as the Comboni Missionaries cel­ebrate its 150th anniversary, we want to help provide clean water for the more than one mil­lion refugees taking shelter in Uganda.

Many of these people were forced to flee from the brutal war between two government fac­tions in South Sudan that threatened their lives and homes. The people of Uganda welcomed these strangers by providing a safe place to stay. Unfortunately, they could do little to pro­vide food or water.

The Comboni Missionaries in North America are partnering with Water with Blessings, a non-profit group in Northern Kentucky that provides easy-to-use water filtration systems to those who need them most.

Water with Blessings describes their work, noting: “Using technology inspired by our own biology, the Sawyer PointONE filter system functions much like kidney dialysis does to filter out impurities in the water, leaving clean, drinkable water. This amaz­ingly effective filter can be set up in five minutes. It requires only a five-gallon container and the filtration kit. It is simple enough that adults of all education levels can learn how to use it. No electricity and no complicated maintenance to guarantee a lifetime of clean, safe water!”

The North American Province of the Comboni Missionaries plans, with the help of our friends and benefactors, to purchase at least 150 filtration sys­tems that will be hand-delivered to refugee settle­ments in Uganda. There, a volunteer with Water with Blessings will teach people how to use the filters. Each filter will be able to provide clean water for several families.

For just $60, several families could be blessed with a life-saving water filtration system. And with access to safe water, these families will no longer need to worry about water-borne illnesses that can cause severe illness and even death.

According to the UNHCR, more than 1.3 million people have sought refuge in Uganda. A staggering 98 percent of the population are women and children. And of that 1.3 million, 994,000 are from South Su­dan. Of all South Sudanese refugees, 51 percent are now in Uganda.

That’s a lot of people in dire need. Providing access to clean water is just one of many ways we will be honoring the legacy of our founder St. Daniel Comboni during the 150th year anniversary of the founding of his institute.

Several of our missionaries are still min­istering to their people in the refugee camps. When the people of Kajo-Keji, South Sudan had to leave our missionar­ies went with them. Fr. Jesus Aranda, Fr. Isaac Martin, Bro. Peter Fafa, and Bro. Erich Fishnela are now trying to settle near the refugee camps to continue to offer their services to the population.

We can’t all go to South Sudan to help though, and that’s where you come in. We need the help of our friends and benefactors so we can continue to sup­port our missionaries on the ground in these refugee camps.

Please consider donating to our newly established 150 Year Anniversary Fund. This money will be used specifically to fund special mission projects to help some of the poorest and most forgotten people around the world—in places like South Sudan and the refugee camps in Uganda.

We also need your prayers. Pray for peace where there is war. Pray for food where there is famine. Pray for the pres­ence of God where hope seems lost.

You can donate directly to the 150 Year Anniversary Fund here.

Learn more about Water with Blessings at www.WaterWithBlessings.org.