Most women(but not men)in Malawi have to walk several miles to collect clean water from the nearest well, or make due with water puddles and streams nearby. They carry heavy containers on their heads back to their own village which lacks potable water from a fresh, reliable source. This is why 1 our of 5 children die before the age of 5 from preventable, waterborne diseases. Contaminated water typically is collected from stale ponds and muddy streams.
Chappy Valente, a professional painter and entrepreneur from North Carolina, accompanied me to Malawi last Spring as part of the mission team. As we watched women collecting rain water from puddles on the ground to take back in buckets on their long journey home, Chappy captured a moment in time in the 'warm heart of Africa' in this delightful painting entitled "The Road to Mzuzu".
I asked Chappy (pictured above) if I could post his painting on my blog with the hope that our "Friends of Malawi" would find it inspirational; and might want to purchase a print to hang on their wall. And support the Malawi mission in the process.
WorldHope Corps, Inc. has made arrangements with the artist and his chosen lithograph printer and framer, to make quality prints available to WHC at a discount. We will pass on that savings to those who donate at least $250 to the Malawi Village Well Fund of WorldHope Corps.
A deep water well costs between 6,000-$10,000 depending on how deep the bore hole and how remote the village (see previous blog posts for details). It takes many individuals to contribute to the Village Well Fund to make a difference in the lives of 1000+ villagers who need access to clean water. WorldHope Corps is committed to providing a total of 20 deep water wells in northern Malawi. So far, in partnership with CitiHope International, we've installed seven wells.
The 14"x18 quality prints of "The Road to Mzuzu" for donors are stretched onto the stretcher bars and ready for framing. They are certified, signed and numbered limited edition prints. It art with a conscience, and for a purpose: to provide a deep well for an African village without clean water.
Donations can be sent to
11 Ardsleigh Drive
Madison, NJ 07940
Let me know if you can help in this way.