Collection: Funded Water Projects

The Nkhamenya Village Well Project was successfully funded on October 1st 2026! The entire cost of the well was covered by St. John Cantius Parish through the Archdiocese of Chicago 2026 Mission Appeal. We will provide more information as soon as well drilling is completed. In Nkhamenya Village, collecting water means climbing down into the ground. The 1,000 residents have no access to safe drinking water and depend on a few unlined holes dug by hand and on a shallow dambo, a marshy wetland. The holes are deep, with steep walls of bare, eroded earth, and what gathers at the bottom is a small pool of cloudy brown water. Residents lower themselves down the side of the pit, crouch at the water's edge and scoop with a cup, filling a bucket one cupful at a time. In the dry months the dambo shrinks to a muddy channel shared with cattle and wild animals, so the village draws its water from the same places the animals use. A primary school serves the village, and its children depend on this same water. This area is at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases, presenting severe health risks to the entire community.

The Kamatawo Village Well Project was successfully funded on September 29th 2026! The entire cost of the well was covered by St. John Cantius Parish through the Archdiocese of Chicago 2026 Mission Appeal. We will provide more information as soon as well drilling is completed. Women and children in Kamatawo Village carry their water home on their heads along a dirt path that crosses open, eroded red earth and disappears into the distance, with full buckets balanced above them the whole way. The smallest children carry a container of their own. The 750 residents have no access to safe drinking water. Everything they carry comes from open pits and a seasonal wetland, and the water drawn from them is cloudy. These sources are shared with livestock and wild animals, so the village draws its drinking water from the same places the animals use. A primary school serves the children of Kamatawo. This area is at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases, presenting severe health risks to the entire community. I

The Kanjazi Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a single donor, J.W., a parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Kanjazi Village was fully funded on September 9, 2026, covering 100% of the $5,500 goal in a single gift. The well has been successfully drilled, and when the borehole was cleaned out, water rushed up out of the new casing and sprayed across the rig. The hand pump has been installed and its brick-edged concrete pad built around it. Drilling and construction took three days in all, and a formal blessing with Father Petros is still to come. This is the first time Kanjazi has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 470 residents, and the children at the nearby primary school, now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Kaluluma Village Well Project was successfully funded on October 3rd 2026! We will provide more information as soon as well drilling is completed. The 750 residents of Kaluluma Village have no access to safe drinking water and depend entirely on a dambo, a marshy hollow in open grassland where water collects below the surface. There is no pool to draw from, only a shallow hole scooped into the wet ground, barely wider than a washing basin. Residents crouch over it and lift the dark, still water out a small dish at a time, waiting their turn as buckets and basins line the grass around them, then carry the full containers home on their heads across open ground. The dambo is shared with livestock and wild animals. A rural hospital serves this community, so the same contaminated water reaches the place people go to be treated. This area is at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases, presenting severe health risks to the entire community.

The Gulumula Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the generosity of two parishioners of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Gulumula Village was fully funded on September 10, 2026. S.S. and B.S., a married couple, covered more than 90% of the $5,500 goal in a single gift, and the balance was met by a second gift from another parishioner, who has chosen to remain anonymous. The well has been successfully drilled, striking water in abundance: when the borehole was cleaned out, clean water burst from the new casing and shot high above the rig. Drilling and construction took three days in all, and a formal blessing with Father Petros is still to come. This is the first time Gulumula has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 440 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Zuza Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a single donor couple, E.K. and P.K. of Mary Mother of Divine Grace Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Zuza Village was fully funded on September 8, 2026, covering 100% of the $5,500 goal in a single gift. The well was successfully drilled on September 10, 2026, striking water in abundance. The crew worked through the night under the floodlights of the rig to reach it, and when the borehole was cleaned out the water came up and out of the hole in a rush, and the villagers who had gathered to watch broke into a celebration of song and dance. Father Petros reported that the drilling was done perfectly. Drilling and construction took three days in all. The pump blessing took place on September 21, 2026, with Father Petros and his colleague Father Thomas blessing the well with holy water and incense, and a Water of Mercy label bearing the words of the Divine Mercy devotion, "Jesus, I trust in You," was fixed to the well. This is the first time Zuza has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 350 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Chindenga Village Well Project was successfully funded on September 9th 2026! We will provide more information as soon as well drilling is completed. Residents of Chindenga Village crouch in churned red mud at the water's edge and scoop with metal basins into whatever buckets they own. The 453 people here have no access to safe drinking water and no alternative source. Everything they drink comes from a dambo, a shallow marshy wetland where opaque, reddish-brown water collects among mud and tangled vegetation. In the dry season it narrows to a shallow channel running through the mud. That same channel is the village washing place, and laundry is spread to dry on the bank beside the water being carried home for drinking. The dambo is shared with livestock and wild animals, so residents draw their water from the same source the animals use. This area is at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases, presenting severe health risks to the entire community. Father Petros has described the suffering in this village as especially high.

The Mazanga Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the generosity of 6 donors, Mazanga Village was fully funded on August 24, 2026, six days after the project was posted. A first-time donor, J.A., a parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, gave 85% of the $5,500 goal in a single gift. The well was successfully drilled on September 6, 2026, striking water in abundance, and the drilling team worked well into the night to finish the borehole. The pump and concrete pad followed, and the whole project was completed in just three days. A formal blessing with Father Petros is forthcoming. This is the first time Mazanga Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. All 378 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Katete Girls School Well Project is complete. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a single family from Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Katete School was fully funded on July 29, 2026, and the well was successfully drilled on August 18, 2026, striking plenty of water. The pump blessing took place on September 16, 2026, with Father Petros presiding over the ceremony, and the girls of Katete School and their teachers gathered around the new pump on the school grounds to pray and sing. Until now, the 1,230 learners at Katete School had no water source at the school. Each day, students walked three kilometers to the nearest borehole, filled large buckets, and carried the heavy, full containers back to the school on their heads. The route was rough and hazardous, with many places to slip and fall, and this long, exhausting daily journey repeatedly interrupted lessons and took time that should have been spent learning. This well ends that walk for good, removing its dangers, the daily effort of hauling water, and the hours the journey stole from the classroom. This is the first time Katete School has ever had clean water on its own grounds. More than 1,230 learners, along with their teachers, now have safe water where they study. With proper care, the well should serve Katete School for approximately 75 years. Please note that some images on this page are courtesy of the "Katete Girls" sponsorship project.

The Chakwanika Village Well Project has been successfully completed. The project was fully funded on August 14, 2026, thanks to the generosity of 4 donors, including an extraordinary gift from Beth J. that covered nearly 88% of the cost. Drilling was completed on September 1, 2026, and the well came in with water in abundance. The crew worked into the night to finish the borehole, drilling under the rig's own lights, and water rose out of the ground hard enough to spray across the rig and flood the ground around it. The concrete pad was poured and the pump installed over the three days that followed, and on September 4, 2026 the finished well was handed over to the village. The pump blessing took place on October 1, 2026, with Father Petros blessing the well with holy water and incense as the village gathered, the elders spoke and the choir sang, and a Water of Mercy label bearing the words of the Divine Mercy devotion, "Jesus, I trust in You," was fixed to the well. This is the first time Chakwanika Village has ever had access to clean water. Until now its 430 residents had no safe source at all and depended entirely on a dambo, a shallow, marshy wetland where murky water collected among mud, grass, and fallen leaves, shared with livestock and wild animals and at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, it should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Mkandawire Village Well Project has been successfully completed. The project was fully funded on August 17, 2026, thanks to the generosity of 27 donors, including an extraordinary gift from Daniele R. that funded more than half of the well and $1,810 in direct online donations from members of two parishes of the 2026 Archdiocese of Chicago Mission Appeal. Drilling was completed on August 31, 2026, just two weeks after the well was funded, and the borehole came in with water in abundance. The concrete pad was poured and the pump installed over the three days that followed, and the finished well was handed over to the village on September 2, 2026. Sixteen days after Mkandawire was funded, the village had a well of its own, and it is drawing clean, safe water from it now. The formal pump blessing with Father Petros is still to come. This is the first time Mkandawire Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. 420 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, it should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Chirwa Village Well Project has been successfully completed. The project was fully funded on August 13, 2026, thanks to the generosity of 31 donors, more than have ever given to a single Water of Mercy well, including an extraordinary gift from Beth J. that covered nearly half the cost and $1,825 in direct donations from members of three parishes of the 2026 Archdiocese of Chicago Mission Appeal. Drilling was completed on August 29, 2026, and the well came in with water in abundance. The work took three days on this one borehole: the pressure rising from the aquifer was strong enough to burst the casing pipes underground, and the crew had to change to a higher grade of pipe, rated to stand that pressure, before the hole could be finished. The pump has been installed and the village is already drawing clean, safe water from it. The formal pump blessing with Father Petros is still to come. This is the first time Chirwa Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 590 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, it should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Mataliyana Village Well Project has been successfully completed. The project was fully funded on July 7, 2026, in just four days, thanks to the generosity of 4 donors, every one of them a returning friend of Water of Mercy, including a single extraordinary gift from Beth J. that covered more than 94% of the cost. Drilling was completed on August 20, 2026, striking clean water in abundant supply, with the drilling and pump installation finished in just three days. The pump has been installed and the village is already drawing clean, safe water from it. The formal pump blessing with Father Petros is still to come. This is the first time Mataliyana Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 420 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, it should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Kapito Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a single long-time supporter of Water of Mercy, who asked to remain unnamed, Kapito Village was fully funded on July 1, 2026, covering 100% of the $5,500 goal in a single gift. The well was given in loving memory of Emi Murakami, the donor's dearest friend. The well was successfully drilled on August 19, 2026, striking water in abundance, with Father Petros on site to oversee the drilling. The pump has been installed and the village is drawing clean water from it. A formal blessing with Father Petros is forthcoming. This is the first time Kapito Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. All 560 residents, including learners and teachers at the nearby primary school, now have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Theu Village Well Project has been successfully completed. The project was fully funded on July 23, 2026, thanks to the generosity of 10 donors, including an extraordinary gift from Beth J. that funded more than 58% of the well, and the support of the parish community of Mary Mother of Divine Grace through the 2026 Archdiocese of Chicago Mission Appeal. Drilling was completed on August 31, 2026, and the borehole came in with water in abundance. The concrete pad was poured and the pump installed over the three days that followed, and the finished well was handed over to the village on September 2, 2026. Theu is drawing clean, safe water from it now. The formal pump blessing with Father Petros is still to come. This is the first time Theu Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. 560 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water. A local water committee will be established for maintenance and management of the well. With proper care, it should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Chimbiranjala Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the generosity of 7 donors, Chimbiranjala Village was fully funded on June 23, 2026. The well was successfully drilled, and clean water reached the surface, running crystal clear from the new borehole. The pump has been installed and the village is now drawing clean water from it. The official pump blessing took place on July 25, 2026, with Father Petros celebrating Holy Mass during the ceremony. A funeral in the community that day made for a smaller gathering than usual, yet the village's gratitude was clear: the people of Chimbiranjala promised to pray for Water of Mercy and all who donated to the well, and they offered gifts of maize, groundnuts, and a goat to support families in need elsewhere in Father Petros's parish. This is the first time Chimbiranjala Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 700 residents, including children and staff at the nearby primary school, now have access to clean, safe drinking water. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Kaputeni Chisi Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the generosity of 5 donors, Kaputeni Chisi Village was fully funded on June 2, 2026, and the well was successfully drilled on June 24, 2026. The pump has been installed and the village is already drawing clean water from it. On July 3, 2026, the new pump at Kaputeni Chisi Village was formally blessed by Fr. Thomas Gondwe, a brother priest of Father Petros, who came to the village to pray with the community and give thanks to God for the gift of clean water. This is the first time Kaputeni Chisi Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. Before this well, the 440 residents of Kaputeni Chisi Village had no access to safe drinking water. The only water source was a shallow, muddy water hole where residents had to crouch at the eroded bank to scoop brown, contaminated water into buckets and containers. The water was shared with livestock, and this area was at high risk for cholera and other waterborne diseases, presenting severe health risks to the entire community. The village sits beside a Catholic prayer center, one of 50 prayer centers in Father Petros's parish. A prayer center is a church without a full-time priest. Learners and teachers at the nearby primary school and parishioners at the prayer center all depended on this same contaminated water source.

The Yesaya Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the generosity of 5 donors, Yesaya Village was fully funded on June 2, 2026. The well was successfully drilled on June 23, 2026. A portion of the borehole collapsed shortly after the initial drilling, a normal complication in freshwater well drilling, and the team resolved it quickly, with clean water reaching the surface. The pump has been installed and the village is already drawing clean water from it. This is the first time Yesaya Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 700 residents now have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Kapili Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the generosity of 29 donors, the most to fund any single Water of Mercy well to date, Kapili Village was fully funded on May 13, 2026. The well was successfully drilled on June 16, 2026, striking an abundant, steady supply of clean groundwater that surged from the borehole. The pump has been installed and the village is already drawing clean water from it. This is the first time Kapili Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. More than 700 residents, including children and teachers at the nearby primary school, now have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.

The Chimwendo Chisi Village Well Project is complete. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of a single donor couple, James and Alicia S., Chimwendo Chisi was fully funded on April 6, 2026, covering 100% of the $5,500 goal in a single gift. Drilling was completed on April 30, 2026, and the village erupted in celebration as clean water shot from the borehole for the first time. The official pump blessing took place on May 7, 2026, with Father Petros presiding over the ceremony. The Chief and Senior Chief were both in attendance, along with many of the villagers who live nearby. This is the first time Chimwendo Chisi Village has ever had access to fresh, clean water. All 820 residents, including children and staff at the nearby primary school, now have access to clean, safe drinking water. With proper care, the well should serve the community for approximately 75 years.