While safe and clean water is often taken for granted, communities such as Daudi, a village in Mangochi, Malawi, remain on the margins. Our communications intern in Malawi, Steve Govati, reflects on the experience of Daudi’s residents, whose daily struggle for water is exhausting and hazardous.

The community relies on a meandering river tucked into the valley, a 10-minute walk from their homes.

46-year-old Annie Allie is 1 of the villagers whose resilience belies the harsh reality she faces every day.

“We use the river water for cooking, drinking, cleaning, bathing, everything,” Annie explains, pausing with a weary sigh. “The water is so salty, and often undrinkable. In summer, when the borehole at the nearby school dries up, the river is our only option.”

“Even the borehole at the school, meant to be lifeline, offers no guarantees. Long queues, under the scorching sun are cumbersome. We wait for hours just to fetch water, and we become unproductive, with no time to go and find food for ourselves.”

In summer, when the heat is at its peak, boreholes dry out, and the villagers’ only hope is the nearby river, with untreated and sometimes muddy water.

My colleague and I walked with Annie to the river to get a glimpse of the situation. A small spring trickled through the dry riverbed, barely flowing. Nearby, someone scrubbed dishes in muddy water, evidence of necessity overriding sanitation.

“It’s unhealthy to do everything so close to the water,” Annie admitted. “But what choice do we have?”

The strain is relentless. Yet amidst the hardship, a glimmer of change is beginning to show. Islamic Relief is implementing a 2-year project which aims to provide clean water, education, and health services to underserved villages in Mangochi district like Daudi.

Upon hearing the news, Annie’s face lights up, a shift from despair to cautious optimism.

“I’ll be praying for Islamic Relief and the success of this mission. Thank you for giving us hope, for giving us healthy water.”

According to UNICEF, 67% of Malawi’s households have access to drinking water, but distribution among districts, and between urban and rural areas, is uneven. Improved drinking water sources are more common in urban areas at 87%, compared to 63% in rural areas.

Only 77% of water points nationwide are functional. The rest no longer work because of old age, neglect, lack of spare parts and inadequate community-based water management structures.

In Daudi village, the water may still trickle slowly, but hope is finally beginning to flow.

With support from multiple partners, Islamic Relief continues to provide access to clean water in its implementation areas. Over the past 5 years, we have constructed and rehabilitated over 25 water facilities in 4 districts, Balaka, Blantyre, Chiradzulu and Mangochi.

Islamic Relief is dedicated to easing the suffering of people around the world. Please help us to continue supporting communities to access clean water in Malawi and beyond by donating today.