Clean Water Transformed Mchezi — Now We Must Act to Protect It

In Mchezi, Malawi, a mother of four named Mary Mawaya can finally breathe a little easier.

The completion of a new water kiosk just steps from her home has changed everything. Where she once walked more than a mile each day to fetch contaminated water—risking cholera outbreaks and losing hours that could be spent earning a living—now she draws clean, safe water in minutes.

The kiosk, one of fifteen built in response to a deadly cholera outbreak, is the result of powerful collaboration between the Lilongwe Water Board, Plan Malawi, and ROCKBlue. Residents like Mary pitched in to dig trenches, lay over four miles of water pipe, and help construct the kiosks brick by brick. The project didn’t just bring clean water — it built hope, community pride, and new opportunities for women and families.

“Mchezi is no longer a village but a town,” Mary says, her excitement unmistakable. Clean water has meant better health, more time for women to work and care for their families, and permanent jobs for 24 women now managing the local water systems.

But today, progress like Mary’s is at serious risk. Massive foreign aid cuts, especially from the United States, have gutted funding for critical international programs.

As one of the world’s leading supporters of water access, the loss of USAID investment has triggered a devastating domino effect: fewer programs, shuttered NGO offices, job losses, and communities being left behind. Without urgent action, the gains made in places like Mchezi could start to unravel.

At ROCKBlue, we refuse to let that happen.

While many nonprofits are scaling back, we are expanding—taking on new utility partners, and bringing on skilled WASH professionals displaced by these aid cuts. But meeting this growing need is stretching our already limited resources to the breaking point.

We urgently need to raise $60,000 by June 1st to keep projects like the one in Mchezi alive — and to extend clean water access to even more communities in need.

Without this support, over 20 million people risk losing access to clean water and sanitation. Women like Mary could once again face the daily burden of unsafe water and lost opportunity.

Help keep the taps flowing. Help communities grow. Help families stay healthy and thrive.

Please donate now. Every minute counts. Every dollar matters.

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