Villanova alum works to bring clean water to Nicaragua's poor

Published: 2006-07-20

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- A two-week service trip four years ago to one of the world's poorest areas prompted Matt Nespoli to change his view of the world, and sparked a solidarity movement to help a Nicaraguan community get the water its people need. In 2003, when he was a senior at Villanova University, Nespoli founded Water for Waslala, a project dedicated to raising money to provide potable water systems for Waslala, Nicaragua. "Access to clean water is a fundamental need and a human right, and must be provided to all human beings," Nespoli said. "There is no excuse in today's world for having cell phones and flat-screen TVs in some countries and no source of clean water in others." Waslala has the highest child mortality rate in the country -- and in the Central American region. Children die primarily from diseases that can be prevented with access to clean water. Just in the last two years the project -- www.waterforwaslala.org -- has raised $130,000 and has helped local residents build four water systems providing clean water to 2,000 people.

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