By Vincent Gunde

Self Help Africa (SHA) which has 57 years combined experience of United Purpose (UP) in the country has assured the communities it works with in Dowa District that it will continue supporting them in accessing safe drinking water and use basic sanitation services.

The organization says it will support the communities to be able to sustain their forests, land and water sources whilst increasing income, health and diets as the programmes are designed with and for women and girls and address harmful gender norms.

WASH Project Manager for Dowa Chifundo Mandala said the 5 -year Strategy (2023-2027) provides a framework for the two organizations to support the Government of Malawi to progress towards a self-reliant Malawi as per the Government’s vision 2063.

Mandala said the Vision 2063 lays out what behaviors their partners and their project participants can expect of them as the vision recognizes the changing climate in which they operate with the overall vision of sustainably livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate.

He said the Strategy will alleviate hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community led, market based and enterprise-focused approaches so that people have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and income while sustaining natural resources.

The Manager said SHA Strategy will continue to support marginalized and excluded people addressing challenges related to representation and participation at all levels by ensuring that their voices and perspectives are heard in respect to everyone’s input.

“Our approach will strengthen women’s access to and control over resources and decisions, prioritizing working with young people in line with the Malawi Vision 2063,” said Mandala.

In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Chairperson Councilor Mayamiko Kambewa, said he would have loved if the budgetary allocation for water be increased from K12 million to K20 million or over saying this can help to implement piped water system to serve a large number of people than drilling a borehole which only serve a few people.

Kambewa said each constituency of the district is allocated K12 million for water saying this is not enough and cannot be used to implement piped water system claiming that in some areas, the water taste is not good thanking Self Help Africa for continuing supporting marginalized and excluded people in Dowa.