Project complete!
Nakhwala Village wants to drill a borehole to provide clean water to village residents. They are currently drinking from unclean water sources.
Community Problem: Nakhwala Village has a borehole, but it no longer works becuase the water table has dropped below the borehole's reach. Residents are now fetching water from streams. This puts the village at risk in terms of waterborne diseases. Women, in particular, are vulnerable in the absence of clean, nearby water sources. Women fetching water from sometimes distant, unsanitary sources experience domestic abuse for taking too long (husbands suspect infidelity), rape (when women venture into remote areas), and death from drowning in flooded rivers during the rainy season.
Community Solution: Dig a new borehole in Nakhwala Village. The borehole location was chosen by a village project committee, acting on behalf of the entire village. The site is publicly accessible. Construction will be done by EZ Borehole Drillers, a company located in Blantyre, with substantial experience in the area. The installation will take three days to complete. It is expected that water will be reached at about 45 meters, but the wells will be drilled to depths of about 60 meters, if necessary. Before drilling, a hydro-geographical assessment using electrical measurements will be conducted to find the depth of the underlying aquifer. The borehole will be guaranteed for one year by EZ Borehole Drillers. Above ground, the boreholes will include a standard metal pump mechanism, a cement foundation to protect the pump mechanism, a cement spillway to direct water into a nearby vegetable garden, and a clothes washing station. Funds will be used to pay for the skilled labor as well as for the materials that cannot be found locally, such as piping, fixtures and fittings, and concrete. Nakhwala will contribute volunteer labor, materials, including bricks and sand, and about $300 in cash.
Partners: Water Charity & National Peace Corps Association
Outcome: clean water for the village