Executive Summary

    Marion Medical Mission (MMM) is an ecumenical non-profit organization raising funds and providing installations for the Shallow Well Program (SWP).  The objective of the program is to provide low cost, technology-appropriate, and sustainable safe water to communities without this basic health necessity.  Marion Medical Mission (MMM) is working in communities of Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania to install shallow wells that provide protected drinking water to remote African villages.  

            In many rural areas of Malawi, people draw water from risky unprotected sources such as rivers, lakes and pools, which lead to their contracting diseases resulting in many deaths a year.  According to Malawi government statistics, over 80% of the children who die under age five die from water borne or sanitation-related diseases.

Since 1990, MMM has helped communities build over 3,600 shallow wells by establishing the Shallow Well Program, providing over 900,500 people with safe drinking water. The Shallow Well Program is a cost-effective and sustainable way for fighting water-related diseases.

            The purpose of this study was to determine how effective the Shallow Well Program (SWP) is at preventing diseases, saving lives and improving the quality of life in the communities MMM has reached. This was accomplished through group interviews in the rural communities of Malawi that received protected shallow wells. A second group of communities that did not have protected water sources represented the baseline or control group and were asked similar questions.  A comparison was made regarding the health, productivity, and quality of life of the two groups.

            The study shows a remarkable impact as a result of the introduction of protected shallow wells on the health and quality of life in rural Malawian dwellers. According to those interviewed in the SWP, incidences of diarrhea, bilharzia, and cholera were not evident. The baseline group of people who have applied but have not yet received protected shallow wells told of constant illnesses, even death, as a result of unsafe drinking water conditions. 

            This study has shown that the introduction of protected shallow wells is effective at improving the physical health and vigor of those who use it, thus increasing their opportunity for more productivity. More importantly, this study has shown that the SWP is effective at producing longer-term outcomes such as attitude and behavior changes in the users, for example, those exposed to use of good water choose not to return to the old source of water when problems arise with their well. Another important long-term outcome is that children are able to go to school and families work in the field more often to produce more food.