Our Water and Sanitation program continues to make a significant difference in the lives of students in rural Malawi. Read our latest blog to learn about how we support hygiene initiatives in primary schools in Dowa, Malawi.
Making Clean Water Accessible in Malawi
One Donor’s Life-Changing Gift
In the Eastern part of Chikumba village, Traditional Authority in Dowa lies an old well. Not long ago, this well was the village’s only source of water.
Lontia Levison explains, “Us women bore the brunt of the situation. We used to wake up as early as 2 am to fetch water. It could take 2 hours of waiting in line before one’s turn. After getting water, we went home and prepared our children for school. Then, we went to the fields, already exhausted.
“As if this wasn’t enough, we never had enough water for washing clothes, cleaning house, and bathing. We used our water strictly for drinking and cooking. Most of our homes were unhygienic. Diarrhea was never news to us.”
Chief Chikumba says, “I’d call the situation “pathetic.” We could find dead frogs in the well. We had no choice but to drink the water anyway.
“In months between September and December, the wells could go dry. At such times, we were forced to drink from the Bua River. The water was unsafe. People bathed and even threw dead dogs in the same river we drank from.”
Madalitso Damiano knows the risks of this water first hand. “After drinking from Bua River, my whole family became terribly sick for more than a week,” he says. “It was costly for me to take them all to the hospital.”
The World Bank reports that unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation stall Malawi’s growth and poverty reduction. Clean water is paramount for a healthy community. According to USAID, about 4 million people in Malawi still lack access to safe water.
Orant makes clean water accessible by drilling and maintaining boreholes. In 2021, we drilled 15 new boreholes. Among the villages we served: Chikumba, home to Lonita and Madalitso.
“We are now one happy village,” Chief Chikumba says. “Fetching water is no longer so burdensome. My people now have enough time to concentrate on other activities. And they don’t get sick as frequently. This borehole has completely transformed our lives.”
Chikumba Village’s new borehole was made possible by donor Steve Selinger. His donation changed the lives of over 280 people.
Learn more about Orant’s Water & Sanitation Program here. If you’re interested in donating a well, send an email to [email protected] or call us at 1(940)299-1322.
The Orant Journal
A Water Problem is a Life Problem: Interview with Yona Maloto
Yona Maloto has been a Water Field Assistant for Orant's Water & Sanitation Program since 2020. We interviewed him to learn more about his work.
Water is an Issue of Gender
Clean water is a gendered issue in Malawi. Women and girls bear the brunt of the water burden. Malita Chimbalame tells her story.
Madzi ndi Moyo: Water is Life
Madzi ndi Moyo: water is life. Melina Maiko of Central Malawi reflects on the gift of water. A new water well impacts her family and village.
Reimagining Hygiene for Every Pupil
Poor sanitation and hygiene are major contributors to the burden of disease and school dropouts in rural schools and communities in Malawi.
Measuring Water Levels with Solinst
Orant received the Solinst Water Meter only a few weeks ago but is already putting it to use in the Water & Sanitation Program.
The Power of Community Leadership in Malawi
Agatha’s community mobilization inspires us at Orant. With leadership like hers, sustainable change in Malawi is possible.
Community Based Water Management in Malawi
Community Based Management gives Malawi communities resources to manage their water. More players, like Orant, are also needed for success.
WASH in Malawi
What is WASH? What is a WPC? And what make a latrine improved? Orant Charities Africa answers these and more questions about WASH in Malawi.
Improving Sanitation in Malawi with Latrines
Orant's Water & Sanitation Program builds an improved pit latrine for girl learners at Chilinkholi Junior School in Central Malawi.