European Union allocates funds for water supply and sanitation projects in Malawi

The European Union (EU) has announced finance worth MWK12.8bn ($37m) to help implement water supply and sanitation projects in Malawi.

The projects are expected to benefit 15 districts and seven cities and towns across the country.

The EU announced the new funds at the launch of the peri-urban sanitation and hygiene (Push) project for Mzuzu City.

The project is expected to benefit 84,000 people from 19,090 households, and 14,400 learners from nine schools in peri-urban areas of Masasa, Chibavi, Chibanja, Zolozolo, Luwinga and Mchengautuwa.

EU Malawi delegation political officer James Dolan said: "The big proportion of these funds will be used for rural water supply and sanitation in 15 districts and the balance will be used by various NGOs for water supply and sanitation in peri-urban areas of seven cities and towns, including Mzuzu City."

The Push project is designed to support the Malawian Government’s efforts to reach its millennium development goals, to improve sanitation services in poor, peri-urban and urban areas.

The project will be implemented by Mzuzu Council in partnership with the NGOs Plan Malawi and Circle for Integrated Community Development.

The EU is co-funding the project under the tenth European development fund to provide MWK532m ($1.5m), while Plan Netherlands is contributing MWK177m ($524,140).

Mzuzu City Council chief executive officer Thomas Chirwa said that the project will improve general sanitation and waste management in the country.

"We hope with this project now indiscriminate disposal of waste and pollution will be a thing of the past," he said.

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Image: The EU has allocated funds for water and sanitation projects in Malawi. Photo: courtesy of DFID – UK Department for International Development.