Clean Water, WASH & Nutrition for 500 Muslim Girls

AAI has always been an advocate for the good health and well-being of the thousands of students in our rural elementary and high schools throughout the Philippines. We emphasize clean water and hygiene, especially in impoverished mostly-rural communities. During this difficult year of the Covid19 pandemic, our emphasis is to prioritize group and individual anti-virus protection in our schools, especially for teachers and pupils.

Poverty, hunger, communal violence, and limited public health plague Muslim Mindanao, Philippines. In the Sulu Province archipelago of more than 150 islands, a school-aged population of some 350,000 children are mostly impoverished and suffering from hunger. Female students are often most affected. We have provided resources to assist three schools with a total of 500 girls and an equal number of boys. Our focus is to build clean water systems and WASH facilities. This is to assure adequate hygiene and nutrition for improved health and education.

At Mukammali Elementary, we worked with school parents, who are carpenters, to construct a beautiful new water system and WASH station. "Despite the lockdown in Sulu," says the Principal of Mukammali Elementary, "we started on October 16 to build a handwashing facility. Thanks to AAI's donor family and our volunteer craftsmen who are PTA parents, the handwash station was completed within one month.”

"We are so blessed to have you and AAI donors as our partners. I could purchase a large water tank and other basic needs of our handwashing facilities. It was a wonderful blessing. Thanks again!"

During the coming weeks, our AAI field team will continue our community-based WASH program in Sulu and other areas of the Philippines. We intend to purchase the materials needed for handwash stations in at least 6 additional schools. The target is for the 6 systems at a total cost of $3,600 to be completed by the time school is scheduled to begin on-site classes in mid-January 2021.

Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have helped. We have succeeded in providing enhanced health for more than 1,000 children cared for in this program during the past three months.

Giving Tuesday is Tuesday, December 1. If you would like to continue to support this program, your contribution will receive a match from GlobalGiving if made before midnight. Click the link below:

Clean Water, WASH & Nutrition for 500 Muslim Girls

Wishing you peace in the coming year,  

Albert Santoli

President, Asia America Initiative

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website