Dowa District Water Office Commends WASH Partners for Improved Water Access

The Dowa District Council’s Water Development Office has expressed appreciation to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) partners for their outstanding contributions toward improving access to clean and safe water across the district.

To guide these efforts, the Dowa District Council has developed a District Systems Investment Plan (DSIP)—a strategic framework designed to operationalize key WASH priorities outlined in the District Development Plan (DDP). The DSIP aims to enhance planning, implementation, and monitoring of WASH interventions, directly supporting the DDP’s goal of improving public health and human development. It also aligns with Enabler 5 of the Malawi 2063 Human Capital Development Agenda, which focuses on WASH services.

Presenting the WASH District Coordinating Team (DCT) progress report, Dowa District Water Development Officer Fanny Muula said that 69 percent of the district’s population now has access to safe and sustainable water in both communities and institutions.

“Behind every percentage point is a family drinking safe water, a schoolgirl no longer missing class due to poor sanitation, and a community empowered to maintain its progress,” Muula said. “WASH partners are complementing government efforts to improve water and sanitation services.”

Partners such as Self Help Africa, Orant Charities, Beyond Water, World Vision, Red Cross, Pump Aid, and others have played a critical role in drilling and rehabilitating boreholes, providing piped water systems powered by solar energy, and constructing latrines in various communities.

Muula noted that these partners are active across the district’s five Traditional Authorities (T/As), responding to needs ranging from borehole drilling and latrine construction in schools to distributing sanitation materials and training local masons and sales agents.

“Each WASH partner has made remarkable progress within their respective Traditional Authority areas,” she added.

Despite the successes, Muula acknowledged some challenges, including difficult geological formations in T/As Chiwere and Mkukula, which have led to an increase in dry wells. She also cited delays in project completion by some drilling contractors, especially in government-funded initiatives.

She urged WASH partners to conduct follow-ups on post-Open Defecation Free (ODF) activities, warning that a lack of continued support can lead communities to revert to open defecation practices.