Families: 80
Water Committee: 5 men and 5 women

For years, families in Khwidzi relied on the lake and other open water sources for drinking water. During the rainy season, runoff made these sources even more unsafe, and diarrhea and other waterborne illnesses were a constant problem. Families could not even count how many times someone in the household was sick in a typical month.

Getting treatment was also expensive and uncertain. A trip to the clinic cost about MK 4,000 each way, and medicine was available only about one out of every three times. When the clinic had no medication, families had to purchase it from a local pharmacy, adding to the financial burden.

Collecting water took hours. Women would leave as early as 4 a.m. and return around 7 a.m., leaving little time for other responsibilities. Families typically collected only two buckets a day. With water so scarce, bathing was the last priority. Some residents said they would only wash their faces every two days because eating and drinking came first.

Today, families can collect five, six, or even 10 buckets of water a day. They can bathe up to three times a day and keep their children clean. Residents say they have not been sick for eight months—and this is the first rainy season they can remember without water-related illness.

Children are also arriving at school on time and in clean clothes. Before the well, only about 30% of children attended school regularly. Today, 99% of boys and girls are going to school on time. Residents say the nearby water source has made a significant difference for students at Thungulu Primary School, 1.5 kilometers away.

With time and water no longer consumed by the daily search for water, families are also able to focus on earning an income. They sell charcoal and livestock, do farming piecework, and are molding bricks and building houses.

For years, residents heard promises from politicians that water would come, but those promises never became reality. When the new well finally arrived, they described it as “a miracle” and “a dream come true.” For Khwidzi, clean water has brought healthier families, cleaner children, and the freedom to spend their days on something other than finding their next bucket.