Water rehabilitation project

Water

rehabilitation

project

SMEC Foundation and the Busbridge Family jointly funded a water point rehabilitation project in Dowa district in Malawi, through the partnership of Action On Poverty (AOP) and United Purpose (UP).

The project rehabilitated six water points providing communities with access to clean water, pumped through pipes drilled deep into the ground. Handpumps are fitted at each borehole meaning that water can be easily extracted for community use.

To understand the status on the ground, UP carried out baseline surveys to document the condition of each water point and generated a list of materials that needed to be procured for each site and conducted engagement with the regional water department to coordinate approvals.

Rehabilitation and installation of six water points was undertaken at the following communities: Kalisha, Chakhombayani, Chilembwe, Kamsikiri, Chinyama and at St Mathias Primary School in Mkukula. The water point rehabilitation benefits approximately 6,949 people across 1,491 households.

Community participation was key to ensuring the successful ongoing management of the water points. All six communities were invited to participate in the project planning and acquisition of local materials during implementation. The project funding also supported hygiene awareness and community-based training activities for local water point committees.

Thank you to Sam Busbridge and Steph Xavier of the Busbridge Family for their support for this project and to SMEC staff members for their on the ground support.

Partner

United Purpose & Action on Poverty

Location

Malawi

Expertise

SMEC Foundation Water Supply