Helping-Hand 2023

Following on from the last issue, we share again about the 2023 Helping-Hand Appeal and its focus on Clean Water.

The word ‘water’ conjures up all sorts of images. If we paused for long enough we could imagine hundreds of ways that we interact with water throughout our lives, such as filling up the kettle for a morning cuppa, splashing around in a pool on holiday or watering the plants in the garden.

Water is essential. It has many uses. We can enjoy it, but importantly, we need it to live. Water is life. But more specifically – clean water is life!

For the women and girls whose responsibility it is to collect water each day, a nearby source of safe, clean water can be transformative. For example, the time formerly spent collecting water can now be spent on income-generating activities, or in school.

In Karonga, Malawi, The Salvation Army has worked in partnership with community members to find sustainable solutions to water scarcity. One element of the large-scale, integrated project based in this area is the construction of boreholes in village centres.

Esther Kaonga is chairperson of the village development committee in Lameck Kambombo in the northern district of Karonga where she lives with her husband and four children. She shares the impact that the new borehole has had for her family and others living in the area:

‘We reached out to The Salvation Army because we were having problems with diseases, and disagreements between people in the village.

The water we were using was contaminated and we suffered from diseases like cholera and malaria. We drew water from the rivers and had no way to treat the water so we fell sick again and again.

My children are clever, but because I needed their help collecting water, they would miss classes. It was hard for them. Now, we are flexible, we are happy and we are hygienic. Now, we drink safe water. There is no more malaria in the community.

The project has also included training community members on construction and usage of pit latrines, and how to install tippy taps for handwashing.

We are thankful for this borehole – it has given us new life!’

In order for such projects to be sustainable, partnership is key. Both The Salvation Army and each community it works alongside bring specific resources, skills and expertise to the table. It is not a one-sided approach with The Salvation Army doing projects for the community, but rather with them. Esther shares how this practically leads to sustainability of the borehole:

‘As a committee we sat down to figure out how we can manage our new borehole. We chose to formulate Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA). We support one another and if the borehole gets damaged we can buy spare parts and fix it. We can also take loans from the VSLA to buy soap for bathing.’

The project has helped those living within walking distance of the borehole to access safe water. Yet people are still required to travel long distances to reach it. This is much better than travelling to collect unsafe water, of course, but the fact remains: more boreholes are needed. Esther emphasises the point:

‘Using water from this borehole means our villages have improved greatly. Many people in the area draw water at this borehole, so another borehole is needed. We want to keep partnering with The Salvation Army so more boreholes can be constructed.’

Anastasia - Esther’s neighbour and fellow committee member – also shared how women have experienced greater opportunities for involvement in community matters. She said, ‘At first women had no positions in committees. But now, through the project, women are empowered to have positions in various committees.’

Water access is vital to life, not only as a physical requirement but also for the opportunities it affords. Water is life!

The Helping-Hand Appeal raises money for a different area of The Salvation Army’s work each year. All money raised during 2023 will go towards international Clean Water projects.

There are lots of ways to get involved in the Helping-Hand Appeal. We have created a selection of resources to help corps, church and community groups to explore the theme of clean water and learn more about The Salvation Army’s projects around the world, with a specific focus on Malawi. Our fundraising ideas and resources are full of suggestions for how you can creatively raise money for clean water projects either individually or as a group.

One way that you can fundraise is by taking the Spend a Penny, Give a Pound challenge. It’s simple: over the course of one day – or longer if you choose – donate £1 for each time you use the loo! We have created a ‘Toilet Tally’ to help you keep track (this could also be a nice way to engage children with the challenge) and then make a donation online at the end of the day.

What your money could do:

• £15 could give a person clean water for life through access to a sand dam

• £45 could provide training in the maintenance of boreholes

• £470 could construct a toilet in a school

• £1,450 could install a shallow well alongside a sand dam

How can I donate?

• Give a donation to your local Salvation Army corps or Family Ministries group

• Donate online: salvationarmy.org.uk/ helpinghand2023

By Hayley Still