On a recent visit to Mpembe School, Malawi, we were lucky enough to witness a borehole being drilled.
It’s a pretty complex process with a lot resting on it; if the team doesn’t find water after several attempts they have to move on. This would leave Mpembe School without a water source and for its students a daily walk and missed lessons to collect water elsewhere.

Luckily, after much crossing of fingers, we found water in just two days. The community was a hive of excitement, because finding water always marks the start of a new chapter. Not only will it mean education for more local children, in this case it also signalled the green light for a feeding programme to provide every young pupil with a daily bowl of nutritious porridge. 20 buckets of water are needed to make the porridge alone.

The positive effects of this discovery are already being felt across the community. The water source quickly became home to a new water pump, removing worries about clean water and, more importantly, the long walks to find it. Not only that, but the feeding programme is already underway.Few experiences can be as rewarding as witnessing a small but brilliant change like this.

Linda Duffy, a WDF team member reflects on the trip:

“These last few days have been so incredibly special. The trip has been all I imagined and so much more. We were lucky enough to witness so many incredible projects that The One Foundation fund and support with the help of their partners in Malawi. They have inspired me to stay involved and keep supporting them both at work and outside of work. I will never forget this trip or the people that I had the pleasure of sharing it with”.

Next time you’re due to fly and passing through World Duty Free, look out for bottles of One Water. When you drink One, you’re helping someone else drink too.