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FedEx Teams Up With Water Mission To Transform Lives in Kenya Through Safe Water

FedEx Teams Up With Water Mission To Transform Lives in Kenya Through Safe Water

In the rural community of Kambu, Kenya, 6-year-old Celestine once spent hours each day walking with her Grandma Anne to collect water. Instead of playing with her friends, Celestine carried a five-liter jug on her back, making a two-mile round trip to fetch water from the Kambu River.
'I carry it on my back. I get very tired,' she said.
Sometimes during the dry season, they had to dig in the riverbed and wait for water to rise through the sand. The water in the Kambu River is dirty and unsafe, and animals often tread through it. 'The kids get worms from the contaminated water,' Grandma Anne said.
The contaminated water often made Celestine sick. She missed school, couldn't play with her friends, and suffered from water-related illness. She is not alone in this struggle. Around the world, water-related illnesses cause children to miss a collective 443 million school days each year.
But in the summer of 2024, everything changed for Celestine and Grandma Anne. With critical support from FedEx, Water Mission completed its largest safe water project in Kenya, serving 9,000 people, including a hospital and seven schools, one of which is Celestine's.
The project is also the first to use an elevated steel tank and underground collection tank. With an Erosion Chlorinator to treat the water, the Kambu project services the community with safe water so that girls like Celestine no longer have to walk for water or become sick from it. These materials used to construct and implement the project were delivered to Water Mission's Kenya country program via FedEx.
Thanks to this transformational project, Celestine no longer must walk for water or worry about getting sick. 'After school, I like playing [hide-and-seek] with my friends,' she says.
With reliable and convenient access to safe water, she now has time for school and play.
Thanks to Water Mission and FedEx's commitment to providing access to safe water, children like Celestine are free to enjoy their childhood, pursue education, and build toward the future.
Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.
Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from FedEx
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Restored Queen Anne home from 1904 features original parquet floors, pocket doors & more
Restored Queen Anne home from 1904 features original parquet floors, pocket doors & more

Indianapolis Star

timea day ago

  • Indianapolis Star

Restored Queen Anne home from 1904 features original parquet floors, pocket doors & more

In August 1904, Ada H. Peters purchased a lot in what is now known as New Albany's East Spring Street Historic District. Shortly after taking ownership of the property, she built an 1,800-square-foot, Queen Anne-style home that was rented to Harry E. Borgerding and his family through July 1909. Borgerding was associated with the H. Borgerding Manufacturing Co. on Corydon Pike and later became secretary — and eventually president and treasurer — of the Borgerding Motor Car Co. on Spring Street. His memory lives on through the house he once lived in, now owned by Anne and Matthew Phillips. "It's a Victorian," Anne said, "but it's a craftsman and Victorian cross (from) the beginning of the 20th century. Almost everything in here is very simple; it's not that frilly, Victorian (aesthetic) — and I think that's why it was preserved." The home still boasts several original features, such as woodwork that has never been painted or stripped. This includes the staircase, which led the Phillips family to purchase the home in 2017. "I guess the staircase is what sold me on the house," Anne recalled, adding that she grew up in old homes and is accustomed to their quirks and oddities. "It had good bones, but cosmetically, (there was) a lot to do." Superficial changes were made throughout, but the kitchen required a complete overhaul, as critical updates were needed to keep it functional. Anne explains that the microwave was falling apart, and the oven would start steaming whenever the temperature exceeded 375 degrees. "We didn't change the layout," Anne said, "but we did take it down … to the studs." The room features new electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, and appliances, but Anne kept the home's character beadboard cabinetry — painted a cool, dark green Sherwin Williams hue called Messenger Bag — features latches that mimic the original ones upstairs. 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FedEx Teams Up With Water Mission To Transform Lives in Kenya Through Safe Water
FedEx Teams Up With Water Mission To Transform Lives in Kenya Through Safe Water

Associated Press

time6 days ago

  • Associated Press

FedEx Teams Up With Water Mission To Transform Lives in Kenya Through Safe Water

In the rural community of Kambu, Kenya, 6-year-old Celestine once spent hours each day walking with her Grandma Anne to collect water. Instead of playing with her friends, Celestine carried a five-liter jug on her back, making a two-mile round trip to fetch water from the Kambu River. 'I carry it on my back. I get very tired,' she said. Sometimes during the dry season, they had to dig in the riverbed and wait for water to rise through the sand. The water in the Kambu River is dirty and unsafe, and animals often tread through it. 'The kids get worms from the contaminated water,' Grandma Anne said. The contaminated water often made Celestine sick. She missed school, couldn't play with her friends, and suffered from water-related illness. She is not alone in this struggle. Around the world, water-related illnesses cause children to miss a collective 443 million school days each year. But in the summer of 2024, everything changed for Celestine and Grandma Anne. With critical support from FedEx, Water Mission completed its largest safe water project in Kenya, serving 9,000 people, including a hospital and seven schools, one of which is Celestine's. The project is also the first to use an elevated steel tank and underground collection tank. With an Erosion Chlorinator to treat the water, the Kambu project services the community with safe water so that girls like Celestine no longer have to walk for water or become sick from it. These materials used to construct and implement the project were delivered to Water Mission's Kenya country program via FedEx. Thanks to this transformational project, Celestine no longer must walk for water or worry about getting sick. 'After school, I like playing [hide-and-seek] with my friends,' she says. With reliable and convenient access to safe water, she now has time for school and play. Thanks to Water Mission and FedEx's commitment to providing access to safe water, children like Celestine are free to enjoy their childhood, pursue education, and build toward the future. Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from FedEx

Delivering More Than Packages: FedEx Interns Give Back Through FedEx Cares
Delivering More Than Packages: FedEx Interns Give Back Through FedEx Cares

Associated Press

time08-08-2025

  • Associated Press

Delivering More Than Packages: FedEx Interns Give Back Through FedEx Cares

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