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A New Chapter for Tandauko Community: Clean Water, brighter future.

"Our children used to suffer from diarrhea and miss school because of unsafe water. Life was hard. We used to fetch water from the river—water that was not safe to drink or use for household activities. But today, everything has changed. Our children are healthy and going to school without any challenges. How can we thank CARD and JOA enough?" Catherine Jasten, 33-year-old mother of three from Group Village Tandauko Traditional Authority Mposa, Machinga district.

For many years, the people of Tandauko lived with the harsh reality of water scarcity and unsafe drinking water. Catherine Jasten’s story mirrors the daily struggles of countless families in her community: long treks often over an hour each way to collect water from rivers and mountain streams. The water was not only unsafe, but the journey itself was dangerous, especially for children and the elderly.

“There were stones and steep paths, sometimes the children would not even have enough water to bathe. We only fetched what we needed just to survive.” Catherine recalls.

Waterborne diseases like diarrhea were common, posing serious health risks and disrupting children's education. But everything changed with the construction of a borehole in Group Village Tandauko.

The borehole has become a turning point for the community. Women are smiling, children are thriving and the once quiet voices of resilience have turned into songs of joy. For the three surrounding villages that benefit from this borehole, this is nothing short of a dream come true.

Now, the community enjoys access to clean, safe and nearby water, improved hygiene and sanitation knowledge, fewer cases of waterborne illnesses, regular school attendance for children and renewed hope for a better future.

“This borehole has given us life. Water is life. It’s better than receiving maize or anything else, we are truly grateful.” Catherine shared.

This life-changing development is part of the Community-Led Planning and Management for Biodiversity Protection and Resilient Communities project in the Lake Chilwa catchment area.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with, CISONECC and ICRAF, with generous support from Jersey Overseas Aid the Scottish International Aid Fund and Trócaire.