Commemorating World Water Day 2024
Commemorating World Water Day 2024
Every time she goes to draw water, she is reminded of one fateful day when she witnessed a fight between two women at a well. Two women who had both gone to draw water were involved in a fight over the issue of who had come first before the other.
Both these women had come to the well in the dawn of the day and they both had waited for hours for their turn to come.
Bridget narrates that this is just one of many fights that she has witnessed at water collecting points.
Promoting peace and fostering harmony through provision of water
The issue of access to water goes beyond affecting the hygiene of a household or community; it can also create peace or cause conflicts. When communities struggle to access water or they can not access clean water, conflicts can arise between individuals, communities or nations. This is why there is a popular saying that states “The next World War will be a fight over water.”
Elsewhere in Chapuwala village, Tionge Zamadula talks of how a week never goes by without her witnessing or hearing of a conflict at a borehole, due to long distances that people are required to walk to get to a water point.
Orant’s WASH Program promotes peace in communities
Orant’s WASH program drills wells, making sure that people do not walk long distances to access clean water. One of the contributing factors to conflicts that rise when it comes to access water is long distances that people are required to walk to get water. When people walk long distances to access water, wait times are longer, and there are many more people that must share each borehole. As water is the essence of life, tensions and conflicts can rise when people feel that their access to water is limited
Our WASH program also has Water Point Committees (WPCs). These committees are elected by the community as leaders, and among other duties, they are responsible for promoting peace and resolving any conflicts that arise at water collection points.
“Apart from WPCs, our WASH program empowers Chiefs to handle water related issues beyond the WPCs,” says Mayamiko Mwenda, our WASH program manager.
By investing and promoting cooperation on water, we can promote peace and make communities a better place to live for everyone
Want to give a gift of water to a rural community in Malawi? Contact our Lead Development Officer, Erin Hearn.
