Mauve Health Clinic Made Possible Because of Clean Water

Water Changes everything!

If you recall the success story of Mavume, (which you can go back to here), it is proof that water changes everything and can be the catalyst for major development in the community. A quick recap of what they did as a community : after our program, they used the available water and mobilization of the community to start a poultry farm employing 4 people in the community. Profits from the sale of eggs were put in a reserve managed by the Water Oversight Committee that we set up. After 2 years, they had accumulated enough liquidity for their main goal : to get a health clinic in their community.

As is common for many of these rural communities, access to a health clinic is extremely difficult - usually requiring car transport costing more than they have at their disposal so would only seek medical care in extreme emergencies. We must keep in mind that the highest cause of infant mortality is diarrhea. At first, the diarrhea seems innocent enough, especially without the knowledge that it can cause death. By the time they seek emergency care, it is many times too late. Furthermore, without access to a nearby clinic, nearly everyone goes without regular health checks for pregnant women and newborns, HIV testing and treatment, malaria treatment, etc. In an initiative led by the Water Oversight Committee, they went to the District Government office and proposed that if they built the health clinic by themselves and ensured that water would be provided, would the government supply nurses and medicine 1-2 times per month. The government agreed.

The community then began to build its Health Clinic.

As they came close to finishing, they called us to show off what they had done. We were blown away by the initiative. They embodied the very notion of self-reliance, dignity, and empowerment. Mavume used the defining moment of getting clean water in their community, alongside the mobilization and organization of the Water Oversight Committee, as a catalyst for their future development - on their own terms. This is exactly what we try to do with our work. Once we saw this, we made a partnership promise that we would upgrade their pump to a solar-powered water distribution system that also piped water to the health clinic. We fought to be able to finish the Solar Project so that it would be ready for the opening of the Health Clinic.

Thanks specifically to our monthly donors - it was made possible! Please enjoy seeing the completion of the Solar System as well as the first day of the opening of the clinic.