EMPOWERING RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH BOREHOLE AREA MECHANICS: THE STORY OF DAVIE MWANGOSI
By Noel Chatepa
In many rural communities across Malawi, access to clean water is a daily struggle especially in situations where a borehole, which is the primary water source, breaks down. In such situations, communities have to wait for government employed borehole mechanics to travel long distances to perform repairs on the borehole. These government technicians are often overwhelmed by the wide regions they cover, leading to delays and increased financial costs for the community. During such times, families are forced to revert to unsafe water sources, exposing them to waterborne diseases.
To address this gap, the Karonga Diocese, through the Cross Catholic Outreach funded Community Transformation WASH Project trained community-based borehole area mechanics. The training of the area mechanics was implemented in collaboration with government and aimed to ensure that boreholes are repaired quickly and maintained properly by local borehole area mechanics who live within the same communities they serve.
One such area mechanic is Davie Mwangosi (48), from Mulyabweka village in GVH Chankholombe, Karonga. He is one of four area mechanics from Chankholombe who received training in borehole maintenance and repair under the Community Transformation WASH project.
“When the Diocese was drilling the boreholes, water-point committees were formed. I was a member of one of those committees, and from there, I was selected to be trained as a borehole mechanic,” Mwangosi shares. “The training was very thorough. We were taught how to maintain and repair the entire borehole system, from the bottom cylinder to the top hand pump.”
Since completing his training in November 2022, Mwangosi has successfully repaired five boreholes and installed a complete hand pump on a newly drilled borehole. “I installed the pipes, rods, and hand pump myself. The borehole had been drilled but left incomplete. To this day, the pump is still working perfectly,” he says with pride.
Beyond the technical benefits, being an area mechanic has also provided Mwangosi with an opportunity to earn an income for his family. “I don’t have a fixed charge for my services. People just give me a token of appreciation. The most I’ve received so far is MK20,000,” he explains.
Mwangosi’s story highlights the power of community-led development and the importance of investing in improving local capacity. By empowering individuals like Mwangosi with practical skills, the Karonga Diocese has not only ensured the sustainability of the Community Transformation WASH project but has also empowered Mwangosis’ life.
The Karonga Diocese Community Transformation program funded by Cross Catholic Outreach is implementing projects in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, Spiritual Evangelism, Health, Agriculture, Education and economic empowerment in the three program sites of Jalawe (Rumphi), Chankholombe (Karonga) and Kopakopa (Chitipa)