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.

Community Description
Ntchisi is a district in the Central Region of Malawi with a population of 170,000. The Kamsonga Full Primary School is located in Kamsonga, a community of about 3,000 people. The school has 1005 students ages 6 to 16 (568 girls, 447 boys) and 15 teachers.

In October 2010, the borehole at the primary school became unusable due to cracks in the pipes.

Project Description
This project is to repair the borehole and restore it to full functionality.

Project funds will be used to purchase materials, including pump rods, pins, bearings, u-seals, bobbins, a rod hanger assembly, foot valve assemblies, plastic plungers, solvent cement, o-rings, riser pipes, hex bolts and nuts, and a pump head.

The borehole has a working committee with three who were trained to make repairs whenever the pump breaks. These three people are: the Junior Section Head, the Senior Section Head and the Village Headman.

Project Impact
Approximately 3,000 people will benefit from this project, including the students, teachers, and the members of the surrounding community, which will also use the borehole.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Erica Ward

Comments
This project uses minimal resources to restore an otherwise sound well to full use. It will have a great impact on the school and the community by providing safe water during the entire year.

Dollar Amount of Project
$412.00

Donations Collected to Date
$412.00

Dollar Amount Needed

$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative with the help of Erica's friends and family.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Erica Ward of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Erica 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.

Community Description
Mndolera is situated approximately 25 kilometers from Mponela, the nearest trading center on a tarmac road. The village has about 200 residents, with women and children comprising over 50% of the population.

The primary source of income is the growth and sale of tobacco by small stakeholders. This leaves little land available for other crops, with almost all available land not used for tobacco being used for maize.

Every Child CBO is a community based organization focusing on child development and care of people living with HIV. They have established a small-scale medicinal and nutritional garden on a half-acre plot donated by area chiefs. The garden has numerous fruit trees including mangoes, guavas, papaya and tangerines. They are also growing tomatoes, various leafy vegetables, soya, and garlic. The plan is to expand this garden using permacultural practices to increase the variety and volume of beneficial plants being grown on site for community use.

Due to the garden’s location, watering has been an issue. The nearest well is located about ½ kilometer from the garden and is 'owned' by an area chief who charges by the bucket. The garden was established prior to rainy season, and so up until now watering has not been a problem. However, as the rainy season draws to a close, volunteers have been forced to draw water from this well and pay out of the organization’s treasury for every bucket used. This limits expansion and the quality of fruits and vegetables being grown.

The Every Child program has ten volunteers who operate the garden and use vegetables grown from the garden in their Home Based Care feeding program for the benefit of the children, most of whom are orphans or vulnerable children.

Project Description
This project is to establish a drip irrigation system for the Every Child CBO garden.

The plan is to install a bucket drip irrigation system which will allow volunteers to carry water less frequently. It will enable the volunteers to use water from a different well, as they will only have to refill the buckets once a week.

A bucket drip irrigation system is a system by which buckets are placed at elevated watering stations throughout the garden. Each station consist of an elevated wooden platform, with a bucket that has been altered to accept 1/4 inch PVC tubing. One will be placed at each of the individual garden beds.

The buckets stand approximately 2 ½ feet tall and are about 1 ½ feet in diameter at the lid. There will be no off valve, they will be continuously running. For an average bed of about 4 feet by 2 feet, the watering stations will water continuously for about five days. They will then need to be refilled by hand.

Ten Every Child CBO volunteers will construct 15 watering stations under the direction of the Peace Corps Volunteer.

Project funds will be used to purchase 70- liter buckets, 1/4 inch pvc piping, screws, caulk and end caps for the tubes.

Once a reliable water supply is established through the dry season, it is expected that production will increase drastically, and there will be enough for the feeding program and to sell to the surrounding community.

The irrigation will facilitate the growing of high-priced herbs, such as garlic, which are used medicinally but can also be sold to markets in the capital city of Lilongwe.

All profits will be reinvested through Every Child on other development programs such as their Community Based Child Care program and Vocational Trainings held at their resource center.

Project Impact
About 100 children will benefit from the project at any given time.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Duncan Zevetski

Comments
In addition to the direct benefits, this is to be considered as a demonstration project which will train others in the technology for use in their personal gardens, thereby multiplying the impact.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.

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

Community Description
Namwera and Maliera villages are 2 large, highly-populated villages located in the Muloza area of Mulanje district in southern Malawi. Both are located on the south eastern slope of Mulanje Mountain, along the Muloza river/Mozambique border, about 5 k apart. Each village has a population of about 2,000 people.

The availability of clean, safe drinking water is a major concern in Mulanje. Namwera and Maliera Villages both have boreholes in need of repair: 2 boreholes which are unusable due to missing pump parts, and one borehole that is only partially functioning due to worn out parts.

Project Description
This project is to repair 3 boreholes and restore them to full functionality.

Project funds will be used to purchase the needed parts to repair each borehole, as well as to purchase cement to repair the foundations of all three boreholes.

The parts to be purchased include: rods, bearings, plungers, pipe, valves, pins, rings and seals, and cement.

Each borehole has a water committee that will repair the pump with the assistance of a community member that has expertise in maintenance. (For example, the one in Maliera village will be repaired by the committee members and a health surveillance assistant from the health center who is trained in maintenance).

Cement will be used to repair the area around each pump to prevent runoff from re-entering the well and contaminating the water source, and to prevent standing water, which can be a breeding ground for mosquitos.

Project Impact
Approximately 4,000 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Brianna Reed

Comments
Repairing existing pumps is an extremely cost-effective way to restore water to this large population. Also, this project allows community members to maintain proficiency in the skills necessary to keep the pump in good repair.

By repairing these boreholes, women and young girls will not have to travel as far to draw water, and more community members will have convenient access to clean drinking water.

Brianna previously successfully completed the Namwera Water Supply Project - Malawi.

Dollar Amount of Project
$550.00

Donations Collected to Date
$550.00

$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative, with the help of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Brianna Reed.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Brianna of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or other projects in the country of service.

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.

Two wells have already been dug by volunteers from the water committee. However, the wells are subject to collapse and to contamination because, due to the lack of funding, they have not been cemented.

Project Description
This project is to cement-line the two existing wells, and to dig three additional wells.

Project funds will be used to buy the cement and other incidental materials, supplies, and tools.

Three shovels will be purchased for the digging. This will assist the workers to dig deeper than they would be able to dig with just the hoes they have on hand.

After the cementing of the wells, the local health center will continuously provide chlorine for use by the water committee for the treatment of the water.

Project Impact
About 3,000 people will use these wells daily as their sole source of water.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Amy Cross

Comments
We try to avoid superlatives, but this project accomplishes more with limited assistance than any project we have seen to date. It gets down to the very basics: Dig a well by hand to provide water for the people. When you have the money, protect it by lining it with cement.

Dollar Amount of Project
$452.33

Donations Collected to Date
$452.33 + additional amounts for future projects

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Amy Cross.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Amy of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Amy and/or those of other PCVs in Malawi.

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