How a solar-powered water system changed Melise’s family in southern Malawi

In Mchelera village, in the heart of southern Malawi’s Machinga district, 40-year-old Melise Madeya’s life has been transformed.  

Mother to five children, Melise’s daily routine once revolved around the time-consuming task of fetching water. Every day, she would walk long distances to the nearest water source, a borehole that served not only her family but also the entire community. 

The prolonged dry spell as a result of El Nino induced weather patterns exacerbated the scarcity of clean water in Machinga with available boreholes intermittently releasing water. 

But now, thanks to a solar-powered water system funded by the United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF) through UNICEF, life in Melise’s village has changed. 

The community of Mchelera, along with 15 other surrounding villages in the Group Village Head Chipolonga, now enjoys easy access to clean, treated water. The Solar Powered system has not only lightened Melise’s burden but also improved the health, security, and livelihoods of families.

Before the solar-powered water system was installed, communities had to endure long waits at a single borehole, where the demand for water far outweighed the supply. 

"Sometimes the boreholes would run dry due to prolonged dry spell, so we had to wait for hours to get water," Melise says, reflecting on the past. "We would walk long distances, often in the heat, and sometimes the water from the borehole wasn’t even clean. We were always worried about getting sick." 

The water system that was set up in 2023 by UNICEF with funding from CERF, has become a beacon of hope for the community. Five water points have been strategically placed to serve the 16 villages, including Chipolonga health Post. 

Now, Melise no longer spends her days walking to the distant borehole. Instead, she can fetch clean, treated water just a short walk away.

"Now, we have water right at our doorstep," says Melise, her voice filled with relief. "It’s so much easier, and it’s clean water."

The impact of the solar powered water system goes far beyond convenience as it improved public health in the area. Prior to the project, Chipolonga Health Post, which serves the area, struggled with frequent outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases.  

In 2023 alone, 33 cholera cases were recorded and five lives were lost.  According to Lanjesi Masale, a Health Surveillance Assistant at Chipolonga Health Post, the situation has since improved.

“Due to prolonged dry spell that led to scarcity of water, we were recording high cases of diarrhoea and we had a cholera outbreak that led to five deaths in 2023. But since the solar-powered water system was put in place, the number of waterborne disease cases has gone down,” says Masale. 

For Melise and her family, the change has been nothing short of life changing. "Before the water system, we were always at risk of getting sick from the water we drank. But now, I know my children are safe. We’re all healthier, and I don’t have to worry about diseases like cholera," she says with a smile.