Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
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Wells of Salvation
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Women in Malawi collect their water from shallow holes in the ground like this one. This water is contaminated with bacteria and parasites and is unsuitable for drinking.
Ghana, Malawi and Zambia
Empower Catholic Leaders to Refresh Weary Souls
Finding water is a daily struggle for many families living in rural Ghana, Malawi and Zambia. It eats up precious time and energy, and even when a source can be found, the water it produces is often risky to drink — but it is used anyway because the poor have no other choice.
Your support of Cross Catholic Outreach’s mission to drill 69 safe-water wells can help end these hardships and restore lost hope. In addition to supplying desperate families with clean water, this campaign will also enable Catholic leaders in the Diocese of Wa, Ghana, the Diocese of Karonga, Malawi, and the Diocese of Chipata, Zambia, in their efforts to address their areas’ critical need for nutritious food, quality medical care, educational opportunities and more.
Don’t miss this opportunity to quench thirst and transform lives in Jesus’ mighty name.
Empower the Church to provide clean water, lifesaving healthcare and more!
A gift of $5,647 will bless 230 lives — but any amount will make a powerful impact.
The Quest for Water
Scarcity and Sickness Plague the Poor
For poor families living in Ghana, Malawi and Zambia, the search for water is often a challenging and even dangerous chore. On a daily basis, women and young girls wake up long before the sun rises to collect water from contaminated sources such as shallow holes in dried-up riverbeds, ponds or streams. Without access to safe water, many families resort to drinking unsafe water contaminated by bacteria, parasites, animal droppings and other pollutants that cause disease.
Especially in rural communities, these issues are worsened by a lack of access to nutritious food, medical care and opportunities for families to improve their lives. For instance, waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid fever present a high risk in Malawi, but there is less than one doctor available for every 25,000 people (CIA World Factbook).
Meet Our Ministry Partners
Devoted Dioceses Working to Transform Lives
Cross Catholic Outreach is partnering with dioceses in Ghana, Malawi and Zambia to transform the lives of the poor by meeting both material and spiritual needs.
The Diocese of Wa, Ghana
In the Upper West Region, the Diocese of Wa serves some of Ghana’s poorest families. Since beginning our partnership in 2021, we’ve helped drill nine wells and construct important facilities, including three safe schools.
The late Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr was committed to sharing God’s love through both evangelism and tangible works of mercy. He recently passed in November 2022, but his staff continues to honor his legacy by serving the poor.
The Diocese of Karonga, Malawi
The Diocese of Karonga is the newest diocese in Malawi. Since 2019, we’ve helped install 24 wells and repair 20 existing wells there.
Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka is working to reach isolated communities with the hope of the Gospel.
The Diocese of Chipata, Zambia
The Diocese of Chipata serves a vast rural area with more than 300,000 faithful. Since 2017, we’ve helped the diocese provide water to 135 communities.
Bishop George Zumaire Lungu encourages fellow Catholics to follow Christ’s example and promote life by helping those in need.
Goals for This Outreach
Empowering Catholic Dioceses to Transform Lives
Families in Ghana, Malawi and Zambia face a daily struggle for survival — in part because they lack access to sources of safe water. This project will provide clean water, sanitation and vital training to help end the burden of water scarcity. It will also improve access to critically needed health care, education, nutrition, agricultural support, income-generating opportunities and more. This wide-ranging relief effort will improve public health and foster holistic transformation for families in extreme need.
Water
Provide 69 wells — two in Ghana, 12 in Malawi and 55 in Zambia — blessing 62,145 lives with clean water.
Install five sanitation blocks (a total of 25 latrines) in Ghana.
Spiritual Outreach
In Ghana, construct a multipurpose building to host Sunday Mass and kindergarten classes.
In Malawi, train lay leaders, provide Bibles and support evangelistic outreach.
Education
Build three schools and teacher housing for an underserved community in Ghana.
Build a two-classroom block in Malawi, rescuing children out of a crumbling, overcrowded facility.
Health
Empower a Catholic health clinic in Ghana to hire a doctor by providing housing.
Equip a mobile clinic in Malawi to serve 2,500 patients.
Food
Provide nutritional support for 250 hungry families in Malawi through food distributions, cooking demonstrations and more.
Agriculture
Install a training farm where families in Ghana can learn sustainable agriculture.
Equip 250 farmers in Malawi with seeds, fertilizer and training to improve their harvests.
Microenterprise
Provide microloans to help 120 rural women operate small businesses and provide for their families.
The chore of water collection is often assigned to women and children. In the Diocese of Wa, Ghana, many young girls must walk miles to quench their families’ thirst.
Donaliya Needs Your Help
Each morning, Donaliya Zulu wakes up before the sun rises to collect water from a nearby river. The families in her Zambian community dig shallow holes on the banks of the river and work tirelessly to collect the rising groundwater. This water is teeming with bacteria and makes Donaliya’s children sick, but her family must have water to survive, so she takes whatever she can find.
“Sometimes we come [to the river] at 1 a.m., and we have to wait for the water to come up,” she said, adding that there is often conflict over who can get to the water first since the supply is so limited.
While Donaliya can’t imagine her life being different, we know it can be — and you can be part of that solution!
Donaliya waits her turn to collect water at a trickling river near Mbingwa, Zambia.
Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures incurred through June 30, 2023, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.
What Is Your Legacy Mission?
When you include Cross Catholic Outreach as a beneficiary in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy, you will make a difference for poor communities by meeting both material and spiritual needs for generations to come. Create Your Legacy!