Borehole Initiative Brings Clean Water Access, Health to Malawi Village
The effort established a functioning water point within a reasonable distance of every settlement for the first time.
Mangochi, ,Malawi-A new clean water initiative has brought dramatic health and quality of life improvements to Lambani and surrounding villages in Malawi’s Mangochi district, where communities once faced high waterborne disease risk trudging miles to untreated sources, writes Ernest Mfunya.
A consortium of international aid groups recently rehabilitated 75 defunct boreholes and constructed 15 new ones throughout the region served by Traditional Authority Chilipa.
The effort established a functioning water point within a reasonable distance of every settlement for the first time.
Villagers had resorted to drinking from the unprotected Mtosa River over two kilometres away, explained Lambani resident Nelia Banat.
Constant cholera and diarrhoea outbreaks claimed lives, especially among children and women.
“We suffered badly from waterborne diseases because we relied on untreated water,” Banat said.
“Now we have clean, easily accessible groundwater preventing sickness and saving lives.”
Safe water access near home has spared arduous treks enabling reallocation of time toward productive farming and family needs.
Banat said she’s also witnessed dramatic health improvements community-wide with waterborne disease rates plunging.
Village Headman Lambani thanked the consortium, consisting of CARE International Malawi, Save the Children International and Emmanuel International, among other partners.
The timely intervention addressed long unmet water and sanitation needs that hindered health and economic progress.
Sustaining infrastructure remains critical, so Lambani mandated every household pay into a fund for parts sphere materials when repairs arise.
He also organized sanitation committees to maintain borehole cleanliness.
CARE Malawi Chief of Party Daniel Abbott called safe water and sanitation foundational for resilient, thriving communities.
While the project fulfilled immediate needs, Abbott said CARE and its partners remain committed to expanding work in the future.
Ripple effects are enhancing food security and nutrition too. Boreholes supply irrigation for villager Madrena Rafael’s vegetable garden, yielding produce like Chinese cabbage to diversify family diets.
“We’re now eating more nutritious foods, improving our livelihood,” Rafael said. Her sales also boost income.
Each new or renovated borehole has a chlorine dispenser to purify supplies and prevent contamination.
Teacher Maxwell Chimwala has witnessed the transformative impact firsthand at Lambani Primary School, where enrollment jumped after a dormant borehole began flowing again.
“We struggled badly with water before, even resorting to unsafe sources,” Chimwala said. “Now students have abundant safe water for drinking, cooking meals and personal hygiene.”
The number of girls at the school quadrupled the first term after the upgrades as those once tasked with fetching household water gained the opportunity to attend, he noted.
Students are healthier and more focused as cholera and typhoid cases disappear.
Headman Lambani pledged to continue community health and hygiene education alongside enforcing proper boreholes and environmental sanitation.
He aims to preserve infrastructure functionality for generations.
“Clean water is revolutionizing lives here,” he said. “We must be good stewards.”
For Lambani and fellow villages long denied this essential human right, the consortium’s work conveyed that no community should be left behind any longer.
The project became living-proof access to safe water underpins all subsequent progress.