Madeline Brings Clean Water to Village of 2,000 Families
What did you do?
Madeline worked with her family to raise money to build a well in a remote farming village in Kenya without access to clean water.
The villagers were walking miles each day to find clean water, sometimes spending a third of their day obtaining water. There were increasing cases of typhoid fever and cholera.
Madeline fund-raised in local parishes and coordinated with the Pope’s Mission Society as a donation platform.
She designed and built her first website, which allowed people to learn more about the water project and make online donations. The site was viewed over 2,400 times from 18 different countries during the four months of fund-raising.
The over 2,000 donations vastly exceeded the original goal. They allowed for the construction of a well, an electric pump, solar panels to power the pump, a large water storage tank, and an ongoing maintenance fund.
Only nine months after beginning this project, the well was completed in January 2020, providing accessible, clean water to the entire village of 2,000 families.
What organization recognized the achievement?
The Archdiocese of Dallas recognized this project and provided it with missionary status, allowing fund-raising after Masses. The Archdiocese of Nyeri also recognized the project and supervised the building of the well and water reservoir.
The President of the Pope’s Mission Society, MISSIO, took a personal interest in this project due to its scope and success. In honor of Madeline’s family, the community of Nyeri dedicated a plaque to them at the site of the well.
How did homeschooling help you achieve your goal?
Homeschooling allows Madeline to attend daily Mass with a wonderful Kenyan priest, who, over the years, has become a part of the family.
It was this priest talking about the urgent need for a well in Nyeri, the village in which he grew up, that inspired Madeline to begin this project.
Homeschooling allowed Madeline to spend over 100 hours working on this project: fund-raising, learning to build a website and making necessary and time-sensitive updates to the site.
What are your interests?
Madeline is interested in learning about her Catholic faith, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, cooking for her family and the parish priests, and helping teach her younger brothers and sister.
What are you inspired to do with your life?
Madeline wants to become a saint.
What are your favorite subjects, and why?
Madeline’s favorite subjects this year are Religion and Honors World Literature.
In the photo is Madeline, standing second from the left, with three of her siblings. They are in the back of Church after Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church in Frisco, Texas.