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2024: A Year of Growth for WASH for Life

Marcella Senti

2024 was a big year for WASH for Life. Not only did we continue our mission of providing life-saving clean water resources to school communities across Malawi – we also continued to grow our outreach in the United States, solidify our partnerships, build connections, and also visited the beautiful country of Malawi.

The stunning Malawi countryside, June 2024.
The stunning Malawi countryside, June 2024.

Our Year in Review: 2024

At the beginning of 2024, the total number of wells from all contributing partners (WASH, GRO, MUHS Starfish Foundation, St. John’s Starfish Foundation, Starfish Brothers, and Starfish Family) was 25 boreholes total since 2017. Those wells were supporting a cumulative 12,500 students, their communities, and their schools. In an effort to help streamline our ways to find and help schools in need, we developed a new application system in January 2024 that provided us with more in-depth information about the schools, allowing us to determine greatest need based on preexisting water sources, the number of learners, and comments from teachers and community elders. Using this new application, we pledged a goal to fund 11 new boreholes that would support a total of 6,563 students. At the end of 2024, WASH and our partners celebrated the groundbreaking of our 40th well after funding 15 new wells this year, including all 11 of our original applicants from January. That’s something to celebrate! 


First image: One of the very first wells from GRO in 2017 at Kamwala.

Second image: One of the most recent wells in 2024 at Ndonda.


To ensure we were able to see the groundbreaking of these new wells, 2024 also saw an uptick in fundraising events. GRO participated in the annual Rotary Small Plates fundraiser and continued to give presentations at various community events, like setting up a booth at the Kohler School Craft Fair. WASH hosted several public meetings and presentations to discuss fundraising, project updates, and travel plans/reflections at Sheboygan Senior Community and most recently hosted another awareness event in December. We also saw the incredible power of the written word through the article from The Catholic Herald, which spurred huge support towards new wells and fantastic involvement from new donors.


Malawi Trip 2024 presentation in December 2024
Malawi Trip 2024 presentation in December 2024

Perhaps the most exciting event of the year was this summer’s trip to Malawi – something now becoming a bit of an annual adventure. Members of WASH and GRO journeyed to the “Warm Heart of Africa” to meet our dear friend Patrick Tembwe and his family before spending a number of days traveling to various well sites. It was a life changing trip to those who travelled, and we were proud to share their stories with you through our blog posts. To learn more about the exceptional Malawi trip this summer, you can read our 4-part blog series based on the traveler’s reflections here.


First image: Patrick Tembwe with learners at Kaluwero.

Second image: Girls at Kaluluma carry water back to their school.


Plans for 2025

With all of these incredible achievements and milestones in 2024, what does 2025 have in store for us? For all of us at WASH, the momentum and enthusiasm of the past year has only fueled more of the fire to continue the work we do. That means more fundraising, more wells, more outreach, and building more connections. This year, we are prepared with new transportation mobility for Patrick and his team, more well maintenance technicians, and new goals. While we’ve been primarily operating in the Northern regions of Malawi, we hope 2025 could start bringing us to the Southern regions as well. Our goal for 2025 is to complete 12 more wells by spring, starting with three in Lilongwe to round out the central region; following the completion of these wells, we will hopefully move into the Southern regions with three wells in Zomba and six in Blantyre. If more wells follow and we are able to fundraise more than 12, we would be thrilled! The need is still very great, and now more than ever before we have the resources and ability to make clean water a reality across Malawi.


We do have one particularly exciting event on the books for 2025 – another trip to Malawi! 11 travelers will be making the journey to Africa this upcoming July, some returning to the country and some brand-new. The group this year will include members from WASH, GRO, and several Starfish branches. This bunch of travelers is ecstatic to be visiting Malawi and our friends there once again and can hardly wait for July to come. Hopefully by that time, there will be plenty more borehole sites to visit.


As for our operations day-to-day, much remains the same in 2025. Regular meetings, brainstorming sessions, blog updates, fundraising events, and constant communication with our Malawian partners are all a part of the process. I can tell you, however, that there is a new gleam in everyone’s eye, a new fervor for the horizons that are opening with possibility. We have so much to look forward to in a new year, with so many blessings – and it’s only just begun! 

A new day breaks in Malawi.
A new day breaks in Malawi.

Thank you, as always, to our phenomenal support system of donors, readers, family, and friends – to everyone that has shared our message one way or another! You are making an incredible difference each and every day that a student in Malawi has access to clean, safe water. 


Is there a topic of interest or a question you have that you’d like us to address or answer in a blog post? Let us know! You can contact us over email or through messaging us on Facebook.


Happy New Year from WASH for Life! Let’s make it the best one yet! 🎉

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