Bringing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to Rural Communities

Makoka Mkandawire is a Health Surveillance Assistant living in Yepe, Northern Malawi, with his wife and 4 children. In early 2022, the Ruarwe Health Centre recorded staggeringly high cases of cholera in the area and, as a result, Temwa began implementing the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) project.

Now, Makoka has seen the increased awareness of WASH’s best practices having a positive impact on the community, where water filters have now been distributed to the community and households more commonly using community-built latrines. 

Makoka says that the community have been empowered to make their own changes: “Yepe is now mobilising resources on top of the money raised from the water filters to construct an under-5 clinic.”

Having seen the changes in his community, Makoka says they are going to continue to work to boost the reduction of waterborne diseases in the area.

“Temwa works differently from other organisations. Before I did not understand the approach but seeing the mindset change in the people of Yepe, I would like to thank Temwa for that.”

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Rural Areas 

Malawi has experienced its worst cholera outbreak in its recorded history after tropical storm Ana induced floods and storms last year, with 58,616 cases and 1,756 deaths registered up until May 2023.

Dirty water and poor hygiene continue to be key threats to life in the communities we work with. In Nkhata Bay North, three in five people contract waterborne diseases every year. Between 2017 and 2022, Temwa has successfully worked in ten communities like Yepe to help reduce waterborne diseases and are now focusing our attention on reaching more communities.

Read more about this project in our latest report here.