ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE

Solar powered community water supply system that solves problem of water scarcity, clean and safe water in Kasungu, Malawi

Mwimba is a very remote area located 40 km away from Kasungu trading in a typical village of T/A Lukwa. The area covers an area over 3000 ha with two primary schools located within the vicinity. The only sustainable source of water is a borehole located within Mbambawa Village which serves a community of over 200 households including students from mbambawa primary school which are over 500 students. due to overuse, it experiences alot of breakdowns rendering students and communities to use water from open shallow water wells which in  most cases are not protected. Combined with Covid-19, effects of water borne diseases and diseases requiring cleanliness becomes a challenge to the community. Similary boreholes requires long time contact of handles with human beings which can easily facilitate transmission of covid-19 and other diseases.

Issues of water related diseases can not be escaped from the primary school as water is an issue which requires immediate action.

The proposed solution is solar powered water supply system. The system will take water from deep wells of over 50 m deep thereby guaranteeing the safety and cleanliness of the water. the source of energy will be solar system connected to  series of storage tanks connected around central points of the community with the aim of temporarily storing water. stand pipe source system will also be connected around the villages and the school with an automatic chlorine dispenser inorder to treat the water. excess water from the deep well will be directed to a school garden at mbambawa which will be used for growing crops as revenue source for maintenance of the system. besides that, communities will be required to pay very little and affordable monthly contribution as part of ensuring sustainability of the system in times of equipment replacement.

Mwimba is a very remote area with a community hospital located over 10km. only few boreholes are present in the area with one noticeable boreholes serving over 600 people. Due to high numbers, alot of people depending shallow water wells as source of water which are not safe. a research conducted by Mwimba College Students( unpublished) indicated that only one well is safe for drinking purposes posing alot risks for water borne diseases around the area.Issues of Covid 19also poses the people at great risk and undeserved.

Giving the community  a solar powered water supply system at very affordable rate will eliminate problems being faced and also empower the school going children with healthy living.

Patricia is a community development worker with advanced diploma in community development  and currently pursuing primary school teaching training with St. Joseph Teachers Training College. I have passion to see communities progressing in life and achieving strides in their life. Life without healthy living is hell and renders a person helpless to do other economic activities. dealing with healthy of human being puts developmental work with high probability of success. I have worked with Soche Technical as an internee in community courses delivery, Farmers Voice Africa as volunteer Field worker and Nsipe primary and Trainee teacher. I have seen problems which people face as it regards to searching for safe water. women and children walk over 7 km on search of safe water and this does not spare Mwimba community. It is my passion to see this changing.

Together with my fellow females of Mwimba College of agriculture, we have the capacity to see the project taking shape and benefiting the people

Initial discussion  was based merely on women groups of which i interact with within the community in village banks. i also talked with the headmaster of Mbambawa Primary to consider this as along lasting solution of which He agreed proposed a wayforward to start searching for funding opportunities. hence this proposal.

The fact that it uses green energy the solution is very innovative and also impacts a large number of people in the community with solution which was not there before. sustainable clean water is a must and a goal of every nation to see good heath of its citizen. This solution deals with the life of an individual

The major impact goal is to see 600 people having access to clean and safe water in mwimba area by end of project implementation.

secondly, we would also like to see improvement in sanitation and attendance of school going children at mbambawa who were unable to attend due to different waterborne illness

Again, the project will see an improved school garden managed using water from the project hence improving practical learning environment and income source for sustainability of the project

The solution uses solar powered source as clean energy and cheaper energy source in long run. Hence suiting the needs of rural people.

600 people

Solar powered technologies, hdro-surveys, drilling, and installation are expensive ( can cost over 15000 dollars)for our team. Otherwise people are willing to participate in the technology, the water project is also number one goal of government of malawi hence having no legal restriction.

Government Primary School: currently working with Mbambawa Primary school as atrget area where the project will be implemented.

Community Leaders and Women Groups in mwimba area as project beneficiaries and people in power

We are proving safe water to a community which has no reliable source of clean water creating alot of demand for the water.The water provided is clean and also safe delivered at vicinity of their villages and school compound making the solution more accessible. inorder to ensure sustainability, the solution will also be charging small amount of money as maintenance fee and use the surplus water for garden production within the school compound as another source of revenue.

The solution does not want to make the water expensive as water is basic need and the ultimate goal is to see everyone accessing it and attaining good healthy.

Excess water from the project will be directed for garden farming which will ensure revue avenues for sustainability of the project. again, Communities will be required to pay a monthly maintenance fee to keep revenue for maintenance of the borehole.