They sang, danced, and ululated. The entire Mweniyumba Village, Traditional Authority Kyungu in Karonga District, rejoiced in the unveiling of a solar-powered water system poised to transform the entire community.
It was the beginning of a new era for a village that once drunk water from shallow wells and streams frequented by livestock.
Women and girls once endured long walks to fetch unclean water that fuelled waterborne diseases such as cholera.
Karonga District registered seven deaths from 63 cholera cases in 2024/25.
“We used to wake up as early as 4am and walk up to seven kilometres in search of water. We would queue with our buckets until 10am, waiting for our turn to draw water,” recalls Tafwirachi Mwenifumbo, from Mweniyumba Village.
She envisions the new water kiosks saving time, lives and marriages.
“Now, we will be drawing water close to home. Previously, our marriages were strained as our husbands often suspected us of promiscuity because we were leaving them home in the cold to fetch water,” she added.
World Vision Malawi installed the solar-powered water supply system comprising 21 tap stands to improve access to safe water in the area.
Mweniyumba Water Users Association secretary Rodrick Mweniyumba says the committee has established robust measures for uninterrupted water supply.
“The community struggled for decades to get safe water, so we contribute funds for routine maintenance and emergency repairs,” he says.
Dyless Nyasulu, a Standard Seven pupil at Lemelo Primary School, is guaranteed access to safe water both at home and at school.
She no longer gets to school late and exhausted as did many girls when they had to escort their parents to fetch water from the riverside wells.
“Life was hard,” she says. “We would go to the well early in the morning, only to find a long queue. This forced me to skip classes or arrive late for classes, which lowered my performance,” she recounts.
Nyasulu says the mechanised water supply system has given girls the ease and dignity to wash, bathe and maintain hygiene during menstruation.
Masuzgo Mwaungulu, 68, of Mweniyumba Village, grew up drinking water from unprotected sources.
She says the water from the shallow wells has high fluoride levels, which leaves teeth with yellow or brown stains.
“This is a common problem for most people in my area. They seldom smile in public for fear of ridicule. Now we have a reason to smile,” she says.
Mwaungulu has waved goodbye to the burden of treating water from the swamps.
Her family no longer pays an extra cost buying water treatment chemicals.
The villagers engaged volunteers to treat the unprotected water source as women and girls came to draw water.
Village head Mweniyumba could not hide his excitement.
“The 20 water kiosks in my area will benefit over 240 households. This is a first since the village was established in 1980,” he says.
Hendrix Kalanje, World Vision Malawi programmes manager for Chitipa and Karonga districts, says the solar-powered water supply system in Lupembe-Mlare area is part of the $35 000 Church Water Project funded by World Vision Canada.
“This system is designed to benefit over 1 455 people in the village, including 394 school-going children. It will reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases and improve learners’ performance at school,” he says.
On his part, Karonga District Council water, sanitation and hygiene coordinator Hastings Kayira says this investment complements the Malawi 2063 agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to provide safe water for all by 2030.
He said: “Both the SDGs and Malawi 2063 development blueprint single out improved access to safe water and sanitation as a key element of human development.
“This is why, the first 10-year implementation plan of the Malawi2063 targets achieving 100 percent access to water supply by 2030, emphasising the transition from boreholes to piped water systems. This goal aims to ensure that all Malawians have access to socio-economic amenities for a better quality of life”.
The Malawi National Water Policy of 2023 requires government and its partners to ensure no one travels over 500 metres to get potable water.
