Water of Mercy
Chirwa Village Well Project
Chirwa Village Well Project
Location: Chirwa Village, Malawi Africa
Population: 590
Current Water Situation: 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.
Project Impact: Before this well was installed, the 590 residents of Chirwa Village had no access to safe drinking water. The only water source was a shallow, muddy hole where brown, standing water collected, and residents had to crouch at its edge to scoop the murky, contaminated water into buckets and basins. Reaching it meant a long, steep walk down a rugged, eroded footpath, and families then had to carry the heavy containers back up the hill to their scattered homes, an exhausting daily journey that fell most heavily on the women and children who spent hours at it each day. The water was shared with livestock, and this area was prone to cholera and other waterborne diseases, presenting severe health risks to the entire community. Today, more than 590 people have access to clean, safe drinking water directly in their village. Families no longer need to descend a rugged, eroded footpath to scoop brown, standing water from a muddy hole shared with livestock, and the women and children who bore the burden of that climb no longer have to make it. The risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases has been dramatically reduced, and the hours once lost to fetching water are given back to school, work, and family. With proper maintenance and management by the community water committee, this vital resource should serve Chirwa Village for approximately 75 years.
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