Kajombo Village's First Christmas with Clean Water
Kajombo Village Well Project - Impact Dashboard
Kajombo Village has clean water for the first time ever. Eleven donors made it happen, and this Christmas marked the first time these 550+ villagers have ever had fresh water.
We want to especially recognize donor Daniele R. in Italy, whose extraordinary generosity funded approximately 80% of the Kajombo well and 90% of the Msese Village well. This astounding set of donations from a wonderful and caring person has transformed multiple communities. Daniele's remarkable compassion will bring clean water to over a thousand people across these villages for generations to come. Donor Daniele R. also happens to reside in our most beloved town in Italy.
We also want to thank donor Jörg P. from Germany. As of today, Jörg P. has donated 11 times to Water of Mercy—an astounding commitment that has helped bring clean water to multiple villages including Kajombo, Msese, Khorwa, Mchilawengo, and Luwerezi.
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 10% of the Kajombo well project and about 15% of the Khorwa 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 Kajombo Village had reached a critical and dangerous level. Residents, including students and staff from the nearby primary school, were forced to walk 2 kilometers to fetch water from a shallow, hand-dug well shared by both people and livestock. This open water source was little more than a muddy pit where families had to kneel in the dirt to collect cloudy, debris-filled water in buckets and containers.
The water was visibly contaminated with mud, animal waste, and debris, creating unsafe conditions that presented serious health risks to the entire community. The combination of the exhausting 2-kilometer journey and the contaminated water source created a dangerous daily burden for families and significantly impacted children's ability to attend school regularly.
Rapid Impact, Lasting Change
The well was drilled on December 22, 2025, and the drilling and construction were completed in just 3 days. This remarkable efficiency meant the community could begin accessing clean water almost immediately.
Today, more than 550 people, including students and staff at the nearby primary school, have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. The elimination of dangerous 2-kilometer journeys to the contaminated water source means children now have more time for education and families can focus on other essential activities. School children now have access to clean water during the school day, supporting better health outcomes and improved educational attendance.
The village has established a maintenance committee to care for the well, and with proper management, this vital resource should serve the community for approximately 75 years.
A Christmas Gift
With drilling completed on December 22, 2025, the village had access to clean water in time for Christmas Day, the first Christmas that Kajombo Village has ever had fresh, clean water. The formal pump blessing was delayed due to severe flooding in Malawi; Main Road 1, which connects Father Petros' parish to Lilongwe, was cut off at the Mpasazi Bridge in Kasungu District. The blessing ultimately took place on a rainy Monday, January 5, 2026, with Father Petros presiding over the ceremony. Please keep Father Petros in your prayers, along with all those in Malawi impacted by the flooding. He and one other priest serve 40,000 parishioners across a vast and poor area of rural Malawi, the same region now suffering from these floods.
The Power of Community Support
The Kajombo Village Well Project demonstrates the incredible impact that can be achieved when donors from around the world unite around a common cause. Eleven individuals—from an extraordinarily generous donor in Italy to a group of Sigma Kappa sorority sisters in the United States—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 550 people and to generations yet to be born.
A gallery of the well drilling, construction, and pump blessing images and videos from the Kajombo Village Well Project are included below.