This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION. 
Location
Chitimbe Village, Mulanje District, Malawi.
Community Description
Chitimbe is a typical rural Malawian village without running water or electricity, located along a dirt road, about an hour away from the city of Blantyre. Chitimbe has one broken borehole, built 30 years ago, that is not operational. The depth of that well is only 6 meters.
Problem Addressed
There is no accessible clean water source for rural residents of Chitimbe Village. This leads to illness and, in some cases, death, particularly among children under the age of 5. Most residents currently fetch water for drinking and cooking from dirty wells or waterways like streams or rivers. Women, in particular, are vulnerable in the absence of clean, nearby water sources.
Project Description
This project entails constructing a borehole in Chitimbe 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, including other boreholes funded by Water Charity. The installation will take three days to complete.
It is expected that water will be reached at about 45 meters, but the well will be drilled to a depth 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.
Above ground, the boreholes will include a standard metal pump mechanism, a cement foundation to protect the pump mechanism, and a cement spillway to channel excess water.
Water Charity 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.
Communities will contribute volunteer labor, materials, including bricks and sand, and about $300 in cash.
Project Impact
2,721 people in 623 households will benefit from the project.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
The project will be administered by Michael Buckler, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Malawi from 2006 to 2008. He is the founder and CEO of Village X, a social enterprise located in Washington, D.C. dedicated to improving community development work in sub-Saharan Africa. He is a member of the National Peace Corps Association, Friends of Malawi, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C.
Monitoring and Maintenance
EZ Borehole Drillers will guarantee the borehole for one year, and be available to respond to any problems that arise.
Villagers will be charged a nominal amount for water usage to have funds available for maintenance and repairs.
Village X will gather data from the nearest health clinic to evaluate the impact of the borehole, comparing rates of waterborne illness before and after installation.
This project has been funded by an anonymous donor.
This project is the eighth to be implemented under our Malawi Borehole Program, which is a part of our ongoing East Africa Water & Sanitation Program. If you would like to help us with more projects such as this one, please click the Donate button below.
This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion, CLICK HERE.