Mthundu villagers get first-ever borehole

There was ululation and dancing in Mthundu Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Sitola in Machinga on Thursday when villagers witnessed the launch of the first-ever borehole in the area.

Speaking during the launch of three boreholes Circle for Integrated Community Development (Cicod) drilled with funding from Millennium Challenge Account Malawi (MCA-Malawi), group village head Napwanga said life has been hard in the area without potable water.

“Governments have come and gone not to mention members of Parliament (MPs), but nobody cared to provide the area with potable water. We were relying on a shallow well that almost caved in and could kill our women apart from being affected by various waterborne diseases,” he said.

Napwanga said the three boreholes will save women from marauding crocodiles of Likwenu River that terrorised them when they were fetching water.

Cicod executive director Amos Tizora said they are implementing a three-year project called Machinga-based Shire River Biodiversity Catchment and Management Project in Machinga in 25 villages under T/As of Nsanama and Sitola.

“Cicod has facilitated planting of trees along Likwenu River and many bare areas within the area apart from facilitating implementation of soil and water conservation techniques.

“However, one of the challenges that we have been facing is inadequate water supply to support establishment and management of tree nurseries; hence, the three boreholes,” he said.

Tizora said Mthundu, Poteya and Namweta villages are some of the driest areas in Malawi and Cicod spent about K12 million to provide clean potable water to the three villages. n