By Rodney Kananji, Partner Support Officer,
In the southern region of Malawi, in Chikwawa TA Ngabu, the Chizenga Reticulated Borehole Water Supply System has been a crucial resource for the communities of Chizenga, Mafuta, and John villages. Built by CICOD in 2021, this system has been essential in providing clean water to around 3,000 people, both directly and indirectly. It has played an important role in their daily lives, but over time, the system started to struggle, especially with maintaining consistent water pressure.
Seeing the need for improvements, a major expansion and renovation project took place between December 2023 and March 2024. Together with CICOD and with support from Trocaire, we set out to address the problems, focusing on the inconsistent water pressure that had been affecting John Village.
The project started with a detailed assessment of the current system to figure out what needed fixing right away. One of the first things we did was replace the old pump with a stronger, higher-capacity one, ensuring the system could handle the growing needs of the communities. To improve water pressure, we also extended the steel tank tower, which made a big difference in getting water distributed more evenly throughout the villages.
Along with these upgrades, five new water points were added, making clean water available to even more households. These changes have made a noticeable difference, turning what was once an unreliable water supply into a much more dependable resource for the people of Chizenga, Mafuta, and John villages.
The project wasn’t without its challenges—especially dealing with leaks in older parts of the system due to the increased pressure and community-based system managers who still require ongoing mentorship and support—but overall, the results have been very positive. The upgraded infrastructure now stands as proof of what can be achieved through community-driven efforts and strong partnerships.
Thanks to these key improvements, the Chizenga Reticulated Borehole Water Supply System is once again a reliable source of clean water, bringing hope and stability to these communities.
