• Rotary Year: 2022-2023
  • Application Date: 6/16/2022
  • Club Name: Scott County
  • Project Name: Wells for Malawi
  • Project Total Expenditures: $17,614.00
  • Grant Amount Requested: $4,000.00
  • Describe the Project, its location and its objectives: This project will drill wells in Kazombe Village (located in Mtundu), Cholokoto Village (located on Blantyre Road, Lilongwe), and Najiri Village (located in Salima) in Malawi Africa.

    Kazombe Village has one old well. The well breaks frequently and causes villagers to use water from contaminated wells. A new well will serve approximately 4,500 people.

    Cholokoto Village has a population of 5,000 people. The area is affected by floods. The shallow pit latrines in the village contribute to the contamination of open wells during flooding. River water is a water source for drinking, bathing, and washing clothes.

    Najiri Village has one covered hand-pump well. The villagers walk up to 2/3 of a mile one way to reach a second water source. A new well will serve approximately 3,500 people.

    Our project will provide wells with hand pumps and concrete closures. The wells will be located in the villages for easy access. These wells will reduce the need for using open, hand-dug wells or collecting water from water holes.

    Benita Africa Missionaries Care Ministry (Benita Africa) assisted in identifying villages for the project and solicited bids for the project. Benita Africa will hire the contractor selected for the project and provide progress updates to our Service Projects Committee.

    Our objectives are to reduce water-borne illnesses and improve health, reduce the time women and children spend fetching water, improve physical health by reducing the stress from the labor of fetching water, and provide families with more time together.
  • This is the Club’s: Secondary Project Application
  • Expected Start Date: 9/1/2022
  • Expected End Date: 12/31/2022
  • Expected Number of Beneficiaries: 13000
  • Describe how the project will benefit the community and/or improve the lives of the less fortunate: The relationship between poverty and the lack of access to clean, safe water is ongoing in Malawi. About 35% of villagers do not have access to clean, safe water, which directly impacts their health and economic well-being. (1)

    Most of the water sources in the rural areas are either open, hand-dug wells or places where water collects in low-lying areas. These water sources are subject to contamination by animals and insects, which can carry a wide variety of diseases and bacteria.

    Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of mortality for children under age five. Roughly 90% of diarrhea deaths are either directly caused by or linked back to a lack of access to clean water. (1) Some common waterborne diseases in Malawi include typhoid fever, hepatitis A, and hepatitis E. Collecting water from stagnant, polluted water increases the chances of getting malaria or other mosquito-borne diseases.

    Water collection labor, or the actual act of fetching and carrying water, impacts health. Most women in Malawi transport water on their heads in plastic containers called jerry cans. These containers usually hold about 5 gallons of water, weighing roughly 50 pounds. This labor places significant stress on a person's neck and spine—so much so, that 68% of women who regularly fetch water report spinal pain, and 38% report back pain. (1) The more trips a day people take and the longer the distance they travel, the more their bodies are strained by the labor.

    Fetching water is time-consuming for women and girls. Not only must women walk to a water source, but they have to wait in water lines, draw water, and carry it home. Malawian women spend more time every day fetching water than on any other task.

    Access to safe water will reduce
    ● absences due to missed work days for adults and missed school days for children because of water-related illnesses,
    ● the need to spend significant portions of the day fetching water, and
    ● the health issues caused by the weight of carrying water.

    In areas where women spend less time fetching water, they spend extra time with their children, spend more time in farming and community development, take advantage of educational opportunities, and increase income-generating activity.

    (1)(Source: https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/our-briefs/lack-of-access-to-water-in-rural-malawi)
  • Estimated Total Project Volunteer Hours: 80
  • Describe the Rotarian hands-on activities in the project (i.e. non-financial participation): Presentations: Prepare and present presentations to community organizations, churches, or groups to solicit funding to support the grant.

    Partner Communication: Work with Malawi partner to identify, obtain pictures and information, and select three villages; solicit bids for drilling wells; review and select the contractor; receive updates and progress reports.

    Public Image: Prepare media releases and posts for the club's social media page.
  • Describe the publicity plan to inform the general public that this is a Rotary sponsored project: Presentations: Give presentations to churches, organizations, and groups to announce the project. Provide follow-up presentations after completion as requested.

    News Media: Submit public service announcements to Kingsport-Times News and Scott County Virginia Star. Pictures will document the activities, and information will be distributed to the media for publication.

    Social Media Page: Posts will be prepared and placed on our Facebook page. Our Facebook page will announce and document the progress and completion of the project.
  • Cooperating Organizations – Please list each cooperating organization, if any: Benita Africa Missionaries Care Ministry (Benita Africa)
  • Letter(s) of Participation: Letter_of_Participation_Benita_Africa.pdf
  • Project Expenditure Budget – list detail uses of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: See Budget Upload
  • Project Funding Budget – list detail sources of funds for the project, or use the Budget Upload: See Budget Upload
  • Budget Upload:Wells_for_Malawi_Budget.xls
  • Primary Contact Name: Earline Lane
  • Primary Contact Rotary Position: Club Secretary
  • Primary Contact Email: earlinewlane@gmail.com
  • Primary Contact Phone: 423-742-1789
  • Financial Contact Name: Chris Edwards
  • Financial Contact Rotary Position: Club Treasurer
  • Financial Contact Address: 
    P.O. Box 728
    Gate City, VA 24251
    United States View on Map
  • Financial Contact Email: cjed@mounet.com
  • Financial Contact Phone: 423-361-2050
  • District Grant Project Authorization LetterMOU_Wells_for_Malawi.pdf
  • Project Supporting Uploads:Kazombe_Village_Open_Well.jpg, Kazombe_Village_Open_Well2.jpg, Cholokoto_Village_Open_Well.PNG, Cholokoto_River_Water_Source.jpg, Najiri_Village_River_Water.jpg, Najiri_Village_Carrying_Water.jpg
  • Grant Number: 2022-14
  • Grant Award: $0.00