A Letter from Mike Kang in Malawi

19 November, 2009 @ 17:53

Dear Friends,

I have been overseas with Engineers Without Borders for a year now working to improve access to clean water for rural communities across Malawi.

Based in the capital city Lilongwe, I have been building the skills and knowledge of our partners - both government and development organizations - to help them improve access to clean water in Malawi. All across the country up to 35% of water sources, like wells and boreholes, are broken. With EWB’s support, our partners are implementing more forward-thinking approaches, and vastly improving the number of water points that work.

There is no doubt that EWB knows what needs to happen to bring lasting sources of safe water to rural communities. Yet, for the first time our ambitions outstrip our resources.

In only a few weeks at the end of 2008, EWBers came together to raise more than $80,000 to support EWB’s work through the Gift of Opportunity campaign. Consider that the cost for a 14 month volunteer placement is just $14,000 - the success of the Gift of Opportunity enabled me, along with four of my team members, to contribute to improving clean water access for Malawian communities over the past year.

I recently decided to stay in Malawi for another year. In this time I am hoping to continue building the capabilities of our partners to ensure that an increased number of Malawians can drink and cook with safe sources of water. Our aspirations are high – we are aiming reduce the number of water points that do not work from 35% to 10% within five years.

This holiday season I am hoping you will support our work in Malawi. Over the next 5 weeks, EWB seeks to raise $ 500,000 and recruit 1,500 campaigners through the World of Opportunity campaign. Reaching this goal will help EWB double the number of overseas volunteers in the coming months – $ 500,000 will enable 35 more volunteers to help drastically scale-up our work across West and Southern Africa.

I encourage you to visit the World of Opportunity campaign online and set up a campaign page. In doing so, you are directly supporting our ability to bring clean water to thousands of Malawian communities. This year, help EWB build a more prosperous future for rural African communities on a widespread scale.

To start your own World of Opportunity campaign and make a difference in rural Malawi, visit: opportunity.ewb.ca

Warm regards,
Mike Kang
Co-Team Leader, Water
Lilongwe, Malawi