We, at Our Lady of Loreto and St Winefride in Kew, are helping RTU's work supporting the most vulnerable children and their families in poor rural villages in Tamil Nadu, South India. We hope to raise enough to drill a bore well to provide clean, safe water. This will be in the village of Mela Endapuli which is around 18 km from RTU's main base in Theni District, around 70 km north west of the city of Madurai. It has a population of 110 and the villagers have to walk over 1km to collect water for their daily needs.

Around 140,000 children under the age of five die every year in India due to illnesses picked up via contaminated water supplies. Families – mainly women – often have to walk long distances to carry water to and from their homes on a daily basis. School pupils often have to help their families collect water, which means they cannot attend school regularly.

The long-term effect on their education is huge. RTU's well-drilling programme has been bringing regular fresh water supplies to thousands of people living in rural communities in rural villages in Tamil Nadu, South India.

This Lent, help us build this bore well and improve the health and wellbeing of more of the poorest families. We also hope to raise enough to build two village houses for families living in makeshift houses.

Thank you.

from Our Lady of Loreto & St Winefride

Sean Chance