OUR NEXT PROJECT - M'BOZO MALAWI
in Memory of John H Harrison, grandfather of the founders of WWB, who passed away on 22 November 2022
The village of M'Bozo is an agricultural community with 124 households and a population of 562.
Presently the main source of water for domestic use are open unprotected shallow wells and streams which become dry during the dry season. Livestock also drink from the same water supply sources. The community has never been provided with a protected water source. The existing sources become contaminated during rainy season due to water runoff. As the season becomes dry, women and girls travel for long distances of 3-4 km to get water from the Bua river which is perennial. Sometimes people are attacked by crocodiles as they draw water from the river.
The community is comprised of poor smallholder farmers who earn their living through agricultural activities. They mainly grow maize as a food crop and Tobacco as a cash crop. Other crops that they grow are soya beans, groundnuts, beans, etc. Some of these people work in other people farms as tenants growing burley tobacco.
Lack of protected water source has impacted this community in several ways. There is always high prevalence rate of water and sanitation related diseases that at times may result in death especially of under-five children. Women especially school going girls spend a lot of time fetching water and become tired that they cannot concentrate in their education. Women too don’t have enough time to do their economic and social activities. They don’t have enough time to look after their children.
The author of the needs assessment report grew up in the nearby village of Moto, where they had received a water project from us in 2014. His personal comments are as follows:
"As young boy staying in Moto village neighboring M’bozo village, our football team used to play against the football team in M’bozo. Both of the villages never had any protected source of water. My former village of Moto benefitted from borehole funded by WWB in 2014. In recent years I have visited my friends I used to play football against that they are grown-ups and they are still drinking water from unprotected water sources up to now."
In the coming days/weeks, we will post photos of the M'Bozo project as it proceeds
If you wish to make a secure credit card donation to support the "M'Bozo Water Project in memory of John H Harrison, please click on the button below.