WaterAid work in Malawi

WaterAid work in Malawi

Malawi is a country located within the continent of Africa. It is surrounded by Zambia to its North West, Tanzania to its North East and Mozambique to its South, South West and South East. Malawi is home to mountainous regions, which can be vital for the communities living near them, and its highest peak is Mount Mulanji. Although Malawi is completely landlocked, three major rivers run through it and it is also home to lakes. The lake Malawi, which is located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, covers around 20% of the country's surface area. This lake is important as it acts as a major drainage system for the people, it is also used for transport, a main water supply, and due to the huge diversity of fish, a good location for fishing. However, diseases can easily be transported through these contaminated lakes. This is one of the main causes for Malawi's low life expectancy. Due to many droughts, flooding and population growth, Malawi is facing water scarcity and 1/10 people don't have access to a clean water supply.

WaterAid is a charity that works with countries around the world to try and provide clean water and basic sanitation to everyone. These are vital for having a high standard of life. Sadly, in Malawi it was reported in 2015 that almost 21% of the population were malnourished  and almost half of its people were living below the poverty line. A study conducted in 2018, reported that about 88% of Malawi's employed population works in agriculture. This means that when the drought, that was caused by climate change, came to the country, 6.5 million people were hit hard. Many Malawians that had jobs in the agricultural industry (primary jobs) lost their income and jobs, as the harsh climatic conditions made farming and harvesting almost impossible.

WaterAid is working alongside countries like Malawi, to provide clean water to these desperate people, and improve many lives. In 2015, WaterAid donated almost £5 million to help put clean water into maternity hospitals, so that mothers and their children can have a positive start to life. Their work also benefits many girls who are deprived of their educational opportunities, because the burden of collecting water falls upon them.
Jessie, a young girl living in Malawi, was missing much school to collect water for her family, which took up lots of time and proved to be a difficult task. She started at 2am and travelled to get water,from a well 2km away, which left her no time for school or study. When WaterAid arrived in their village, the whole community was benefited. Now Jessie and her family are able to grow vegetables to eat and sell, in their garden with the extra money.

WaterAid works with governments and authorities, who donate money to the cause. But it is also a charity that anyone in the public can donate to and fund. Despite the fact that the charity work is helping to build a strong African economy and provide essential infrastructure for people living in poorer communities, It can sometimes be hard for other country's governments to help with donations. This is because they still need to provide for their own country and especially in times of austerity, it is challenging to allocate extra to donate. To add to this, WaterAid still has to pay its staff and many people may dispute about how much of their funds actually reach the people who need it the most. Corrupt governments may also unfairly distribute the money they receive, and this may prevent some people from donating.