Chiefs from the area of Senior Chief Masumbankhunda in Lilongwe have commended Habitat for Humanity for empowering rural communities to achieve better health and quality life through sustainable WASH activities.
Senior chief Masumbankhunda said people in his area especially vulnerable have access to clean water, toilets and some are living in good standard housing systems.
“This project by Habitat for Humanity has promoted nutrition, hygiene and sanitation through construction of houses, boreholes and toilets which has transformed living standards of people,” he said.
He said this after visiting and appreciating some of the villages which are benefiting from the project.
He also called other Non-Governmental Organizations in the country to emulate good example by Habitat for Humanity for reaching out to more vulnerable people with interventions which have changed their living standards.
“If all the NGOs were working like Habitat for Humanity things could not have improved tremendously,” he added.
Health Surveillance Assistant for Nkalema Catchment area Chikondi Chunga said before the project, communities were fetching water from unprotected sources which resulted in being affected by waterborne diseases.
“People used to drink from unprotected shallow Wells but now things were changed where they are drawing water from boreholes,” said Chunga.
He added that the project has encouraged people to have a toilet at household level.
Chunga further said backyard gardens have also households to improve in nutritional and economic status.
Habitat for Humanity WASH Officer Tryness Banda Makiyi said 210 toilets have been constructed to vulnerable people while other households constructed on their own after being trained how to construct environmental friendly toilets.
She said the NGO drilled 16 and rehabilitated 15 boreholes since 2020 when implementation of the project started.
Makiyi added that apart from hygiene and sanitation, Habitat for Humanity has constructed 5 houses to vulnerable people valued at over K6 million each.
No cholera related case has been registered in the area for the past 3 years since the NGO has been distributing chlorine within the catchment area.
The 3-year project is being implemented with support from Germany government with a total budget of £533,329.19 (over K680 million).
