Women Entrepreneurs in Malawi Ensure Water Flows
October 27, 2011
By Eileen Lambert
Have you heard the remarkable story of empowerment and ownership in Blantyre, Malawi?
In three years, the low-income area of Nkolokoti-Kachere went from intense corruption, near total water service disruption and losing $10,500 (USD) a year, to full service, 80 paid jobs and earned revenue of $46,000 per year. Talk about a turnaround!
How did Nkolokoti-Kachere achieve its safe water success? New thinking.
A few years ago the Blantyre Water Board and Blantyre City Authority approached Water For People for support. Together we created the Nkolokoti-Kachere Water Users Association (WUA), a truly collaborative arrangement owned by the community and operated within government bounds.
Among the most inspiring changes — the WUA recruited women right away.
It made a huge difference.
Before the WUA, women had little say in how the water system was run, despite being the biggest users and collectors of water. With many more women in leadership positions now, corruption faded, broken water kiosks were fixed quickly and new kiosks were built.
This is how water projects are done right, with local partners driving sustainable change and Everyone prospering. With your support, we are planting these seeds of success over and over again until Everyone has safe flowing water forever.
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