Project profile — Improving Access to Safe Water and Sanitation in Machinga and Zomba

• Malawi (100.00%)

• Basic Health: Infectious disease control (12250) (41.60%)
• Basic drinking water supply:
Basic drinking water supply (14031) (29.20%)
Basic sanitation (14032) (29.20%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to improve access to clean water and sanitation for 80,000 women, men, girls and boys in 92 communities in Zomba and Machinga districts in rural Malawi. Some project activities include: (i) digging 32 new wells (eight boreholes and 24 shallow wells); (ii) rehabilitating and protecting 60 failed or unprotected water points; (iii) building 3,576 improved sanitation facilities to ensure the proper treatment and disposal of sewage wastewater and prevent illness; and (iv) providing training to women and men to help them maintain and manage water and sanitation facilities in a sustainable manner, including training on operating and maintaining simple hand-pumps. The project also supports community groups to develop and implement locally tailored fundraising approaches to finance the upkeep of the water and sanitation facilities, and to develop group leadership and management skills, especially among women. Malawi is considered a water-stressed country, with only half the rural population having access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Water-borne diseases are among the major causes of death among young children in the country. This, together with pressure from population growth, makes urgent the provision of safe water, improved sanitation and the teaching of healthy hygiene habits. Local partners are: 1) Ministry of Health, 2) Ministry of Water Development; 3) Ministry of Education; 4) Village Leaders; and 5) Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (i) improved health for women and men; (ii) increased productivity for women and men due to increased time savings and reduced illness; (iii) improved school attendance for girls and boys due to reduced illness; and (iv) improved patient and health service savings due to reduced illness.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2017): (1) constructed 24 new shallow wells; (2) drilled 8 new bore holes; (3) rehabilitated or upgraded 62 existing water points (identified by the Ministries of Health and Water Development) - these provided 80,000 people in the targeted districts of Zomba and Machinga with access to clean and safe drinking water; (4) improved sanitation facilities by completing 132 Ventilated Pit Latrines serving 16,610 school children (also increasing the enrolment of girls by 16%) and constructing 1300 Aberloo latrines 21,880 people; (5) provided training on Community Based Management to 801 participants (64% or 513 women) on group dynamics, technical knowhow, sanitation and operation, and the maintenance fund; (6) established water point committees (with 64% women); which encouraged female leadership in these communities and in important decision making roles; (7) provided resources management training to 882 participants (65% women) on environmental impact, fundraising, and maintenance of constructed wells. These achievements helped 80,000 community members (40,981 female) in Zomba and Machinga to access to clean and safe drinking water; and increased participants’ knowledge of tree planting, better agricultural practices, protection of trees around water source, sanitation knowledge and habits, and other issues affecting the safety of the water supply.

• Proactive disclosure