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Sponsors Needed for Village Wells

Village Well Project 2007
Deep Water Wells for Community Wellness
Malawi, Africa

CitiHope International, a non-government humanitarian aid organization, and WorldHope Corps, a new non-profit in New Jersey, seeks sponsors and co-sponsors for 20 village wells in a remote area of northern Malawi in need of fresh water.

Here's why:

One out of 5 kids die before age 5, mostly due to preventable, waterborne diseases.



Clean water is a big challenge in remote places in Malawi. Kids die before age 5 largely due to diseases they get from unsanitary water conditions (dysentery, cholera, malaria, etc). This can be prevented by potable water from a deep well.

One borehole of at least 50 meters in depth will provide fresh water for 2,000 villagers. The total cost for drilling the borehole, plus the mechanical apparatus, the necessary repair and maintenance fund, sanitation instructions and training, and a simple irrigation system for a community garden is $10,000. (That translates into just $5 per villager for access to fresh water that will save lives!)

The first two village well projects were sponsored and implemented in July and August 2007 (see previous blog posts) The next four wells are needed in the cluster of villages known as Kamphenda. They will be installed as community development projects as soon as funding is in hand.

Kamphenda is a remote trading center for 200 villages, located near Rumphi and the Game Reserve in northern Malawi. A dilapidated and poorly furnished primary school and a few grocery kiosks are what qualify this place as a business hub. Kamphenda is accessible only by a 4x4 vehicle or tractor able to sludge through the bumpy and muddy roads.

Each of the 200 villages surrounding Kamphenda is comprised of 35 to 40 households. There are about 6 people in each household which commutes to about 240 people in a village for a total population of 48,000 people.


Twenty Village Chiefs shared their need for clean water

Currently, there are only eight working wells in the area. Eight village wells among 200 villages cannot possibly provide clean water for 48,000 people. The existing wells are located far and wide apart so that most villagers must walk up to 10 kilometers to the nearest water point. Because of this long distance, most families opt to drawing water from small streams which are muddy and contaminated.



A contaminated water hole is the only
source of water in many villages



“This is the kind of well we need,”
said the Village Chief of Kamphenda

If interested in sponsoring a Village Well Community Development Project, please contact Michael J. Christensen, Ph.D., Project Director, mchriste@citihope.org 973-714-0023
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