Safe Water for Communities

Chisanja Project Wins National Energy Globe Award for Malawi

June 11, 2013

We're thrilled to announce that Water Missions International recently received the national Energy Globe Award for Malawi for a safe water project in the community of Chisanja! The Energy Globe Award is a prestigious environmental award given to projects that focus on energy efficiency, renewable energies, and resource conservation. But this is what we love to do - provide sustainable sources of safe water to communities who need them, so that their health and development may flourish. Chisanja is not only an award-winning project because of our efforts to provide an environmentally friendly safe water solution, but also because the heart of the community is filled with pure joy for life. We're grateful to share their story on how life has been forever transformed thanks to the gift of safe water. Before our project, the 700 community members of Chisanja, along with 600 children from their village and nearby communities who attend a primary school in the area, had only one water source - a water well that was shared by both people and animals. Women and children would collect water while pigs and cattle used the well as a watering hole, which further contaminated the water source. This was no way to grow healthy bodies in this community. A team from Water Missions International Malawi partnered with SolarWorld AG to work with the community members to install a water system that would purify the water to be safe for human consumption. They also built a pipe distribution system that delivers water to five new water taps conveniently located throughout the village and another to the school, ensuring that people can have access to clean, safe water that they don’t have to share with livestock.

Smiles among the ladies of Chisanja at the safe water taps. With safe water access, the people of Chisanja are experiencing improved health and new daily routines. If you asked the people of Chisanja what life was like now that they have safe water access, they would tell you of the way that safe water has transformed their community. One woman explained, “It’s such a welcomed development in the village. We cherish the water system as if it was our baby.” Safe water access has also had a huge impact on the local primary school. The head master was quick to mention how wonderful it has been now that students no longer miss classes because of waterborne disease or having to walk long distances to fetch water. “It is now easy to effectively teach about hygiene as we can easily demonstrate to them with the available access to safe water,” praised the headmaster.

With safe water access throughout the community. Children are able to easily fetch water for their families that will be safe for consumption. Safe water access leads to improved health and more days in the classroom. We're blessed to be able to provide Chisanja with access to safe water through a sustainable project. To learn more about the Energy Globe Award and Water Missions International’s award-winning project in Chisanja, Malawi, go to http://www.energyglobe.info/awards/national/awdid/61974/#.UbYF9tghPdV

Waiting for Joy: Matrida’s Story

Water Mission Responds to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica

Chisanja Project Wins National Energy Globe Award for Malawi

Related Impact Stories

Get Updates in Your Inbox