Clean Water Brings New Life to Malawian Village After Crisis
The project's success demonstrates the vital impact of targeted humanitarian interventions in rural communities, where basic infrastructure can dramatically improve public health outcomes.
DOWA, Malawi — For years, the 77 households of Kanyumbu Village lived with a grim daily reality: drinking water shared with livestock from the muddy Munondo River, writes Ireen Kayira.
Today, thanks to a Red Cross intervention, they gather around a new borehole that has transformed their community's health and future.
The Munondo River, flanked by tall mud walls, offered little more than contaminated puddles and seepage from its banks.
Yet it remained the sole water source for hundreds of residents in Traditional Authority Chiwere, Dowa, for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
"The pigs would come to drink here and bathe in the same water; so would the cows," said Ethel Sikweya, a mother of seven.
"We had no choice. There was no other water source. Every time I filled my bucket, I worried about the diseases my children could get from drinking this water. I couldn't protect them from the sickness."
The consequences proved devastating. In 2022-2023, the village experienced a severe cholera outbreak that spared neither young nor old.
"Even at the hospital, we were told that we were suffering because of the unhygienic environment, but we knew it was the water source we relied on for our livelihood," Sikweya said.
Relief arrived in November 2023 when the Red Cross launched its Nutritional Program, a comprehensive initiative with three main components: health and nutrition, capacity building for local stakeholders, and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
"Our lives were at risk, and we would frequently get sick," said Leyala Gadafa, the borehole committee chairperson.
"We tried to dig several wells, but when the rain came, they would end up being destroyed by rainwater, and the problem persisted. The water source was unreliable, and no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't escape the cycle of illness."
The construction of the borehole marked a turning point for the community.
"Now, my children are safe. We no longer worry about getting sick from the water we drink," Sikweya said.
"I couldn't believe it when they said they would build a borehole here. I never thought we would see clean water."
Gadafa emphasised the transformation since the borehole's completion.
"We no longer fear the diseases that once threatened our lives, and we are now able to focus on our livelihoods without the constant worry of illness," he said.
For the residents of Kanyumbu Village, the borehole represents more than just infrastructure improvement.
It stands as a symbol of hope and renewal, marking the end of a long struggle with waterborne diseases and the beginning of a healthier future for generations to come.
The project's success demonstrates the vital impact of targeted humanitarian interventions in rural communities, where basic infrastructure can dramatically improve public health outcomes.
Local health officials report a significant decrease in waterborne illnesses since the borehole's installation, suggesting a lasting positive change for this community of approximately 400 people.
The Red Cross continues to monitor the project's progress as part of its broader mission to improve health and sanitation conditions in rural Malawi, where access to clean water remains a critical challenge for many communities.