GRO Wells | growithus

Well 1: Kamwala School

When deciding where to place our well, Lakeland University gave us a few options to choose from that they had previously selected. After doing research on every location, we decided on Kamwala Junior Primary School because it would help the community the most. Many school children were in great need of clean water. Additionally, with this new well, the school was able to expand and begin teaching fourth grade. Over 400 kids and 406 families around the school now have access to clean water. Before the well, the families were forced to walk many miles to carry buckets of water back to their houses. This well was finished January of 2017 and is located 20 miles outside Lilongwe, Malawi. When the well at Kamwala Junior Primary School was celebrated by the people of the community, a few Lakeland University associates were there. This included Nancy Buhr, one of the teachers from Lakeland Lakeland University teachers visiting with the Malawian Lakeland University Masters in Education teachers who have been helping us along our journey.

Well 2: Kapija School

The Kapija School location was selected based on a recommendation of our Malawian contact, Patrick Tembwe. Mr. Tembwe has been our personal contact for both wells and researched the location outside Mbalachanda, Malawi for us in person. The Kapija School is in a very remote, underdeveloped area of the Mbalachanda district, off a dirt road with no electricity. The nearest health facility is a 6-kilometer walk away. Additionally, the school was on the brink of closing, as many teachers had to or were going to leave the school due to the lack of safe water resources. As education is an integral part of our project, the possibility of keeping the school open with the addition of a well aided in our decision. The Kapija School Well was finished in December of 2017. Originally supposed to be completed earlier in the year, complications arose when rainwater from the flood season washed out parts of the dirt road to the school and made access temporarily unavailable. Nevertheless, the well was on its way to completion as soon as the road opened up again. The Kapija well now serves the school and its community, while also keeping the doors to the Kapija School open for the further education of the children. While reassuring the education of those already enrolled in the school, the addition of the well allows more girls to attend classes. Rather than spending multiple hours walking to get water for their families, which is usually also dirty and unsafe, girls now have the time and energy to get the education they deserve.

Well 3: Kapoka

The Kapoka Primary School is the third GRO well site, located in the Malawian District of Mzimba. There are 400 learners enrolled in the school and 359 families in the surrounding village. Kapoka was facing problems with late attendance by learners, a lack of safe drinking water, water-borne illness, poor sanitary care for women, and a long-distance to the nearest water source. The late attendance by female learners is due to the time that it takes to reach the water source Kapoka relies on, which is 2.5 kilometers away and unsanitary. Kapoka School was established in 2000 and has not had a borehole well since its opening. The site was recommended by our Malawian liaison, Patrick Tembwe. Kapoka’s application was received on December 2018.

Due to the monsoon season, construction on Kapoka started a few months later. The borehole well was completed March 30th, 2019, and is in honor of the Catherine B. Stayer and the Stayer Family Foundation. With the borehole, clean, sanitary water will be accessible within the village. Learners will be able to get to class on time. The risk of water-borne illness will lower and the state of female sanitary care will be improved.

Well #4: Kaziwa

The Kaziwa School is located in the Malawi District of Ntchisi and is home to 523 school learners and 150 families. In Kaziwa’s application, it was expressed that learners bring water in buckets from home to school for a whole number of purposes, including mopping classrooms, drinking, and washing hands. Kaziwa also faced a problem with student attendance, because it was hard work to carry water to and from the water source, which was additionally unclean and unsafe. It was a 20-minute walk to the previous water source in one direction, leaving those who went to fetch water exhausted and unable to focus in school if they did attend. Water is an extremely important factor in whether or not schools in villages like Kaziwa are able to operate successfully and to the best benefit of its students.

The Kaziwa well was completed March 8th, 2019, in honor of the Bruce and Carol Grover Family Foundation. The well now serves the hundreds of students and families in the village around the Kaziwa school and is allowing students to continue to attend school with clean, accessible water.

Wells #5 & #6: Boma

The fifth and sixth GRO wells are located at the Boma Primary School. This particular school serves over 5,000 learners and 74 teachers. 3,000 families surround the Boma school as well, making two wells necessary for the sheer number of people in the area. Boma’s previous water source was severely unreliable. Shortages were common with the population size, droughts affected the source, and the distances traveled to retrieve the water were lengthy. Due to the congestion of learners in classrooms, water is vital to the school’s operations. At Boma, the learners are provided with a meal program while at school. However, the meals served to require large amounts of water. The lack of water is problematic to the meal program and greatly affects the learners. Often there is no water for handwashing, drinking, cleaning, or for bathrooms in addition to cooking while school is in session. Wells previously put in place by the government stopped working years ago and the current water source is much like many others: ponds or pools in the ground that is highly unsanitary.

Boma I and Boma II wells were completed in April 2019. One of the Boma wells is in honor of the Hamer Family. These wells now serve over 8,000 people and provide safe, reliable water to support the village and keep the school open.

Wells #7 & #8: Chithiba

The seventh well funded by GRO is at a school called Chithiba. There are two wells at this school due to the significant amount of learners at the school and community members around it. The first well was made in honor of the Lakeland University due to their constant support and help with our projects. They have been so amazing over the past six years and we are so grateful for them. The second well was made in honor of the Sheboygan Rotary Club. The members of this club have been so supportive of all of us in GRO. We would not be where we are today without them. Both of the wells together serve about 4,679 learners and 3000 families. We are so thankful for the opportunity to help these Malawians.

Well #9: Bango

Our ninth well is placed at a school called Bango in Malawi, Africa. This well was completely donated by us in December of 2019. This well helps about 2900 learners and 600 villagers around the community. We are so blessed to be able to contribute this well to this village. We know that many kids are healthier and happier due to our wells and we are so grateful that we could help them.

Well #10: Vonken

The tenth well we donated is at a school called Vonken. This particular well serves 560 teen, female boarding students and 600 villagers. This well was made in honor of the Thorne family due to their endless support and great contributions. This was our way of saying thank you for all their help over the past years.

Well #11: Mombe

Mombe, is at a school called Machinga TTC (Teachers Training College). This well serves about 1382 learners and 360 families total. This well was made in honor of FREED (Forum For Reading Education). This is a group in Malawi that met with Steve Hamer, one of our group helpers. He was fortunate to meet with them and discuss GRO. Since then, we have been connected with them and we are so thankful for all of their support.

Well #12: St. Peter Dickson

Well #13: Mkaka

These wells were donated to us by St. John Evangelist Church in Kohler, WI and Blessed Trinity Parish in Sheboygan Falls, WI. We were blessed to be able to speak to these churches and their parishioners during the Lent season. We decided to dedicate these wells to the churches that helped make these two amazing wells happen. We were very grateful to be able to build these wells during Covid-19. We know that having clean water is always very important but it is definitely more important during this unpredictable time.