Each year more than 1,700 schools and 1,200 parishes take part in Project Compassion, and one thing consistently helps young people in particular connect, and that’s real stories of children just like them.
For the past two years, water has been the lens through which students have explored poverty and global inequality. Last year, it was Toefuata‘iga, a student in Samoa. This year, it is Sisilia a thirteen-year-old from Tanzania. Both stories help young people understand, in a tangible and deeply human way, how access to clean water can shape a future.
This year we have told the story of Sisilia, a student with big dreams who wants to become a pilot one day. She also happens to be a leader in her school and community, but her journey to this point began with long walks for water.
Sisilia refilling her cup from newly installed water taps at her school in rural Tanzania. Photo: Caritas Australia.
Every morning, Sisilia walked 30 minutes to collect water from a dirty canal for her family, followed by an hour long walk to school. By the time she arrived, she had often missed her first lesson. Often, she collected water from the canal three times a day, with the physical toll causing back pain. Frequent illness from the unsafe drinking water also kept her out of school even more.
Sisilia carried significant responsibility at home, helping her mother support the family after her father passed away. Like many children around the world, collecting water fell to her, leaving little time for homework, rest, or simply being a child.
When clean water was made accessible in her community, everything shifted. Sisilia gained time. Time to arrive at school on time. Time to focus on her education. Time to spend with friends. Time to imagine a future.
Sisilia collecting water from a new water tap that has been constructed in her village. Photo: Caritas Australia.
Today, Sisilia is a member of her school’s SWASH (School Water, Hygiene and Sanitation) club, teaching other students how clean water helps communities stay safe and well. This leadership is one reason her story stands out so strongly to Australian students who have engaged with Project Compassion.
Today, Sisilia is a member of her school’s SWASH (School Water, Hygiene and Sanitation) club, teaching other students how clean water helps communities stay safe and well. This leadership is one reason her story stands out so strongly to Australian students who have engaged with Project Compassion.
Throughout Project Compassion Caritas Australia spokespeople have spoken to many groups of students. Their questions showed us that many were drawn to Sisilia’s hope and sense of responsibility. They were also inspired by the idea Sisilia brings to life, that real change is strongest when communities lead it themselves. Sisilia is not just benefiting from clean water; she is taking that opportunity forward for others.
Her story helps all of us, but especially our young people in schools across the country, understand that water is not just about drinking or washing. It affects health, education, family life, and dreams for the future. When water is unsafe or far away, it keeps people stuck. When clean water is close to home, it opens the door to a better future.
This World Water Day, Sisilia reminds us that access to clean water does not just change daily routines, it changes what people believe is possible.
Faith in Action: The Big Water Walk
Inspired by stories like Sisilia’s, students at St Angela’s Primary School took part in The BIG Water Walk as part of Project Compassion.
Through classroom learning and scripture-based reflection, students explored what it means for millions of people to walk long distances for water each day. They then put this learning into action by carrying buckets of water through obstacle stations around their school, symbolising the daily challenges faced by communities without safe water nearby.
The experience helped students connect empathy with action and led to over $50,000 raised for Project Compassion last year. More importantly, students reported lasting changes in how they think about water, service, and their role in creating change.
As one student reflected: “It wasn’t just one day. We learned and carry it with us… it was a good day, and it was nice to reflect on what we had learnt on the walk.”
You can find out more about how the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, St Angela’s Primary School and Caritas Australia worked together to put students' faith into here:
