The completion of a new borehole well in a rural community outside Mzuzu marks the sixth infrastructure project delivered by the Foundation this year.
The El Chay Foundation has completed construction of a new borehole well in a rural community outside Mzuzu, providing clean, reliable water access to approximately 500 residents for the first time.
The project, which took three months to complete, was built using local labour and materials, creating short-term employment for 18 community members during construction. The well is equipped with a hand pump and a concrete apron to prevent contamination.
Before the well was built, residents — mostly women and children — walked up to four kilometres each way to fetch water from an unprotected stream. The journey took hours each day and exposed families to waterborne diseases.
"We used to spend half our day fetching water," said one community member. "Now the well is five minutes from our homes. Our children can go to school instead of carrying water, and we know the water is safe to drink."
The well is the sixth infrastructure project completed by the Foundation in 2024, bringing the total number of structures built or renovated to 22 since the Infrastructure Development program launched in 2013.
Community members have formed a water committee to manage maintenance of the well and collect small contributions for future repairs. The Foundation provided training to the committee on basic pump maintenance and water quality monitoring.
The Foundation thanks the donors whose generosity made this project possible, and looks forward to completing two additional well projects before the end of the year.
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