You Can Make a Difference!
Help Students in Malawi, Africa Drink Clean Water
Our Mission
MUHS Starfish Foundation’s mission is to raise money with the intention of constructing wells in Malawi, Africa in close proximity to schools. By providing the basic necessity of clean drinking water to school children we aspire to keep students safe from waterborne illnesses such as cholera. We also aspire to alleviate students from the everyday challenge of walking long distances to find infected water. This challenge prevents them from getting the adequate time needed in school to excel.
Narrated by: Patrick Tembwe
The Issue
School age Girls in Malawi walk on average 3.5 miles a day carrying up to 20 liters of unclean water (roughly 40 pounds).This journey commonly takes 15 hours a week. In Malawi school is virtually the only opportunity out of poverty. Imagine if it were your sisters and daughters who had to miss hours of school each week to supply water for themselves and their classmates. Supplying wells on school grounds removes the need for girls to fetch water, and in turn giving these girls an opportunity to go to school and a way out of poverty.
The Solution
Although we can't completely solve this issue for Malawi it is our goal to try. The cost of a borehole and its upkeep is approximately $8000. Each borehole serves roughly 500 children. If one does the math that is only $15.33 per student for a decade of clean water, and a world of opportunity, a small price to pay to change a child's life.
Who Are We? and Why Trust Us?
We are the outreach branch of this project and are partnered with washforlifeinc.org a 501(c)(3). As Marquette University High School students we strive to be men for others through this project. We are also assisted by our trusted friend and community leader in Malawi Patrick Tembwe. Together they have funded and overseen the construction of 40 wells and counting. With our partnership and your help we plan to give clean water to thousands more.
How the Process Happens
Constructing a Borehole
This process starts with site identification.
We go with a surveyor to do mapping on the actual site where the borehole can be drilled.
We contact a contractor with a drilling machine to do the actual drilling.
They drill to the recommended depth of 50 yards or more depending on the assessment and recommendation of the surveyor.
After drilling is done, we do what is called civil works (installing the hand-pump and pipes into the drilled hole). This enables people to begin using the borehole after 7 days of pump installation.
This whole process is overseen by Patrick Tembwe.