Generosity That Crosses Oceans: How 29 Donors Brought Clean Water to Khorwa Village
Khorwa Village Well Project - Impact Dashboard
We are thrilled to announce that the Khorwa Village Well Project has been successfully completed! This community in Malawi now has access to clean, safe drinking water thanks to the incredible generosity of 29 donors who came together to make this vision a reality.
This project was made possible by 29 generous donors who believed in the mission of Water of Mercy. We want to especially recognize donor Jörg P. from Germany, whose extraordinary generosity funded 50% of this entire well. As of today, Jörg P. has donated 11 times to Water of Mercy. This is an astounding commitment that has helped bring clean water to multiple villages including Khorwa, Kajombo, Msese, Mchilawengo, and Luwerezi. We also extend special thanks to donor Lewis E. from the UK, whose contribution to this well represents his third significant donation to our mission. Your continued faithfulness is transforming lives.
Eight beautiful ladies from this image—Sigma Kappa sorority sisters of our co-founder Lori—came together in an inspiring display of friendship and compassion. Their collective contributions funded about 15% of this well project and about 10% of the Kajombo Village Well Project. This group holds a special place in our hearts, demonstrating how lifelong bonds of sisterhood can extend across the world to lift up those in need.
From Crisis to Clean Water
Before this well was installed, water scarcity in Khorwa Village had reached a critical and life-threatening level. Residents, including students and staff from the nearby primary school, were forced to walk 1 kilometer to fetch water from a shallow, hand-dug well shared by both people and livestock. This open water source was little more than a stagnant pool choked with vegetation and overgrowth where families had to kneel to collect murky, contaminated water in buckets and containers.
The water was heavily contaminated with mud, debris, animal waste, and organic matter, creating conditions that made this area prone to cholera outbreaks. Children had to collect this dangerous water for their families and school, presenting severe and immediate health risks to the entire community. The contaminated water source posed a constant threat of deadly waterborne diseases.
Rapid Impact, Lasting Change
Funded at 101.8% of our goal on December 2, 2025, the well was drilled and the pump installed in just 3 days. This remarkable efficiency meant the community began benefiting from clean water almost immediately after funding was secured. The pump blessing took place on Christmas Day (December 25)—making this the first Christmas that Khorwa Village will ever have fresh, clean water.
Because the pump blessing took place just four days after drilling, the water may appear slightly cloudy in larger containers—this is completely normal for a new well. The drilling process disturbs fine sediments in the earth, and with regular daily pumping, these particles flush out naturally. Within a few weeks of use, the water will run crystal clear.
Today, more than 600 people, including children and staff at the nearby primary school, have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. The elimination of dangerous 1-kilometer journeys to the cholera-prone contaminated water source means children now have more time for education and families can focus on other essential activities. The community now has reliable access to clean water year-round, dramatically reducing the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases and improving the overall health and quality of life for all residents.
The village established a committee to care for the maintenance and security of the well (shown here), and with proper management, this vital resource should serve the community for approximately 75 years.
The Power of Community Support
The Khorwa Village Well Project demonstrates the incredible impact that can be achieved when donors from around the world unite around a common cause. Twenty-nine individuals—from devoted supporters in Germany and the UK to a group of Sigma Kappa sorority sisters in the US to many faithful friends of Water of Mercy—saw a need and responded with compassion, forever changing the trajectory of this village's future. You have given the gift of health to over 600 people and to generations yet to be born.
A gallery of the well drilling, construction, and pump blessing images and videos from the Khorwa Village Well Project are included below.