Mike Kang in Malawi

The volunteer

Worldwide, more than a billion people don’t have access to safe drinking water. And over two billion survive without adequate sanitation. As a result, 6,000 children die every day from waterborne diseases.

That’s why Engineers Without Borders (EWB) volunteer Mike Kang signed on to help tackle water problems in Malawi. Mike works with the Malawi Freshwater Project, one of the most successful water and sanitation organizations operating in this landlocked nation.

The challenge

In Malawi, 60 per cent of the population lacks access to reliable clean water, while 76 per cent don’t have any form of sanitation. As such, waterborne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery and cholera run rampant. Children are especially vulnerable, as one in seven Malawian children won’t see their fifth birthday.

The opportunity

The Freshwater Project is working to change that situation. Since 1995, the group has built more than 800 borehole wells and over 5,000 pit latrines. This has led to dramatic declines in the incidence of waterborne illness – a drop of more than 60 per cent in some regions.

Mike is working to develop and enhance the leadership capacity of the organization. The graduate of the University of British Columbia joined EWB because, as he puts it, he was “drawn to the talented and critical people who understand how much value they can add to tackling the vast and daunting challenge of development.”

It is indeed a daunting challenge, but with the potential to create incredibly impactful results.