Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it has taken them a year to install solar-powered water supply system at Namanolo Health Centre in Balaka District using proceeds from the 2025 Charity Shield, due to technical challenges.
The project, which cost K110 million, involved sinking a borehole and constructing a network to pump water to a reservoir tank at the health centre and staff houses.
According to FAM, the facility is now ready for handover.
The development comes just a week before the 2026 Charity Shield match between the 2025 TNM Super League, now FDH Bank Premiership, champions Mighty Wanderers and the 2025 Castel Challenge Cup winners FCB Nyasa Bullets at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on April 18.
The 2025 edition featured Wanderers and Silver Strikers grossed K126 million.
Sponsors NBS Bank plc injected K60 million while the match generated K61.7 million from ticket sales and K5.1 million from broadcasting rights.
After paying expenses, the event netted K65 million.
FAM marketing and communications manager Mayamiko Kafwamba in an interview yesterday said the one-year delay was due to low water table in the area.
He said: “As you are aware, we implement the project through our partners, Malawi Red Cross Society.
“Unfortunately, our partners faced technical challenges because the water table in the area is very low.
“This is a solar-pumped water system, so they were failing to get the right amount of water capable of being pumped to the health centre.”
Malawi Red Cross Society communications and resource mobilisation specialist Felix Washoni in an interview yesterday said the delay was insignificant compared to the 23 years the health centre operated without clean water.
He said: “This hospital was constructed around 2003. Over the years, several organisations have been trying to install water at the health centre, but they all failed due to the same problems.
“If you go there, you will see that there have been several attempts to drill boreholes around the area, but to no avail. But as Malawi Red Cross Society, we did not give up. We are excited that we have finally succeeded.
“You look as it at as a year delay, but for us we are looking at the results. Of course, in humanitarian work, time is a matter of essence, but we are driven by the results.”
The Charity Shield was introduced in 2016 to use the season-opening event to raise funds for charity.
The inaugural event proceeds were used to purchase patients’ trolleys at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe.
However, the match between Bullets and Wanderers grossed K11.4 million in gate revenue, leaving FAM with only K1.5 million after expenses to buy the trolleys.
FAM subsequently also spent almost a year raising additional resources to complete the donation.
In 2017, the shield again fell short of expectations as the match between Bullets and Kamuzu Barracks generated a net K256 500, far below the K15 million target intended for donations to Kachere Rehabilitation Centre in Blantyre.
In 2018, proceeds were used to donate a Braille embosser and papers and other items to Ekwendeni School for the Visually Impaired in Mzimba District.
The following year, the Charity Shield was used to raise awareness against violence targeting people with albinism.
The event was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 public health guidelines that restricted gatherings and sporting activities.
When the competition resumed in 2022 under NBS Bank plc sponsorhsip, proceeds were used to purchase K10.3 million worth of food items to 986 households affected by Tropical Cyclone Ana in Chikwawa District.
In 2023, the proceeds supported families affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy from Chiradzulu District.
Flames legends Clement ‘Chimbalame’ Mkwalula and the late Boniface Maganga families, the then FCB Nyasa Bullets Reserves coach Enos Chatama, former Chitipa United coach McDonald Mtetemera and Malawi National Beach Soccer team captain Sandram Saddi, also benefitted.
Proceeds from last season Charity Shield were used to construct toilets at Kanjuwi Primary School in Salima.
