Condolence funds to the bereaved family of a Swedish national, Peter Wallenberg are set to drill more than ten boreholes and rehabilitate many other broken ones in the area of Senior Chief Chikumbu in Mulanje.
This was revealed during a handover ceremony of one borehole at Sapuwa Village which was rehabilitated with the same condolence money.
Wallenberg who died on January 19, 2015 was one of the Swedish pioneers in the promotion of sanitation and hygiene through provision of clean safe water across Sub-Saharan African countries including Malawi.
Speaking during the hand over event, Chief Executive Officer for Water for All (an organization that provides clean safe water) Michael Lorrin said when Wallenberg died, his children decided that every penny that was to be received as condolence from friends and acquaintances of the family would be channeled to Malawi through Water for All in order for it to provide clean water to lacking villages.
“The family well understood the love that late Peter Wallenberg had for Malawi, and how he really had wanted to provide clean safe water in as many villages as he could, where there were water problems during his life,” explained Lorrin.
Commenting on the initiative, Senior Chief Chikumbu hailed the Wallenberg family for the generosity, saying it was very touching to realize how some people spend sleepless nights thinking of ways to liberate Malawians from poverty and suffering.
The Traditional Leader however condemned acts of vandalism and lack of sense of ownership among communities over such public properties which she said disheartens donors.
According to the Peter Wallenberg WASH Project that is being implemented by ADRA Malawi in the district, more than ten boreholes will be drilled from September 1 this year and many others will be rehabilitated with the condolence money.
Coordinator for the Peter Wallenberg Project in Mulanje, McDonald Kanjewe commended the community in which the handed-over borehole was rehabilitated, for its patriotic citizenship.
“People of this village led by the village head have shown a spirit of ownership and acceptance in the way they took part in rehabilitation work at the borehole, and this is very encouraging on our part as we continue to rehabilitate more boreholes and drill new ones in areas around this village as well as here in this village,” said Kanjewe.
He was quick to add that measures to curb misbehaviors such as vandalism and theft have been put in place to ensure that the rehabilitated boreholes and the ones to be drilled are kept safe.
The area of Senior Chief Chikumbu is one of the ones mostly hit by lack of clean safe water sources in the past five years and random media research shows that over 75 percent of the population of the area has been relying on unsafe water sources for over five years.
Good news. keep it up.
To divide and rule could only tear us apart.
#Feesmustfall.