Provide a preschool in Malawi with safe water

In Malawi, over three quarters of the preschools (known as Community Based Childcare Centres) have no access to clean water or hygienic toilets. Mng’ona preschool is no exception.

Mng’ona preschool is in the district of Mchinji in West Malawi. On our first visit we were immediately struck by the run down state of the building. The school had no windows, no doors and the roof was poorly supported. Mng’ona is extremely isolated and the nearest 10 surrounding villages consist of just 668 people. We struggled to imagine Mng’ona as the nurturing environment it needs to be for young children just beginning their education.

145 children between 3 and 5 years old attend the preschool, 46 boys and 96 girls yet the school lacks any basic facilities. In neither the school nor the surrounding environment are there any sources of safe water, or toilet facilities of any kind. The children have no choice but to go to the toilet outside, exposed to all the elements. 

To date we have met with the traditional authority of the village, Mduwal, District Committees and members of the surrounding community to help us better understand the current situation and people’s roles within it. In turn helping us understand how the project can contribute to the children, as well as the surrounding community. 

Community engagement is vital in all of Pump Aid’s work, helping us ensure that a project doesn’t end simply when the well is built but creates long term sustainable development. Thanks to your support, we have started engaging with the school and begun putting the first steps in place. With more funding we can make a start on gathering resources for construction and begin drawing up potential construction sites for the water source and toilet block.

Links:

• Read more about our Project