Bangu Village Well Improvement Project – Malawi

Location
Bangu Village, Mimosa, Mulanje District, Southern Region, Malawi

Community Description

Bangu Village is a small but highly populated community in the district of Mulanje, just east of Mt. Mulanje. There are about 3,000 people in the village and the surrounding area.

Community members have been forced to walk up to 2 kilometers to obtain safe drinking water. The Bangu Village Water Committee, a branch of the Bangu

Village Development Committee, embarked on a program to hand-dig wells within the village.

A previous Peace Corps Volunteer in the area helped the community cement six hand dug wells and began work on four others before receiving a site transfer. These four wells have been partially cemented but are lacking appropriate runoff areas that will protect the water source, decrease mosquito prevalence and help the wells retain water.

Project Description
This project is to improve four wells in Bangu Village.

Work will be done by masons to protect the wells from the entry of contaminants, prevent the accumulation of mud and standing water, and increase general water source sanitation. Cement will be used to patch some small leaks around the bottom of some of the wells and to build more complete cement platforms around the well bases.

Funds from Appropriate Projects will be used to purchase cement, transport it to the site, and pay a mason for some labor.

The community has already dug the wells and will be involved in collecting quarry stone, river sand and other materials needed to make concrete. They will also be planting plants, such as lemongrass, around these water sources to help prevent erosion and reduce mosquitos.

Project Impact
Over 3,000 villagers will benefit from these improved water sources.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Oliver Cole

Comments
This project improves existing infrastructure to make it sound. The result is a water system in the community, consisting of individual wells, that is consistent and secure.

Dollar Amount of Project
$330.00

Donations Collected to Date
$330.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Marcia Wijngaarden, of Den Haag, Netherlands.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Oliver Cole of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Oliver and/or those other PCVs in the country of service.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.