Turning the Tide: From Shallow Wells to Reliable, Safe Water for All.
By Trinity Kubalasa
Communications and External Engagement Manager, World Vision Malawi.
Since March 2023, Malawi experienced its worst cholera outbreak with a record of 59,376 cumulative cases and Nkhata Bay District was among the most hit areas.
Largely, the cases escalated due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water.
In villages such as Chagowa, Mphuwa, Chilasasa, Mayembe, Aron, and Malenga Sanga, communities relied on shallow wells and rivers for drinking water.
Vinus Phiri, a mother of five, described the dire conditions in her village, where they had to draw water from a shallow well shared with animals like goats.
"During the rainy season, diarrhea cases were at their worst. As this is a lakeshore district, not many people have toilets, so open defecation is common. This meant that fecal matter would get washed into the shallow wells, making children sick and causing them to miss school," Phiri said.
Today, Phiri and other villagers can afford a smile as World Vision Malawi has drilled a borehole in their village through the organisation’s integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (iWASH) Programme.
The borehole has brought immense relief to families like that of Thulisile, a 9-year-old registered child and a standard 4 learner at Kazando Primary School.
Thulisile, a pilot in the making said the shallow wells also offered a breeding ground for mosquitos further affecting their health as cases of malaria were always high.
“The borehole is near our house and I go and draw water anytime that I want. I am never late for school and we are no longer complaining of any water borne diseases,” she said.
According to Thusile’s mother, Vinus Phiri, the accessibility of safe water will tremendously help her family in many ways.
"Water is life, and we believe the arrival of this borehole will allow us to focus on other things that can improve our socio-economic livelihoods. We are deeply grateful to World Vision Malawi for this intervention," she said.
Village headman Chagowa agrees that clean water, a clean environment, and good hygiene practices are essential for children and families to thrive.
In the financial year of 2023, around 153,086 people across the country have gained access to basic drinking water services, with 219 boreholes equipped with hand pumps drilled.
World Vision believes that clean water, sanitation, and hygiene empower children and their families to flourish and that every child deserves, and has the right to safe water and a clean environment.