Project
Zomba CCAP Primary School
Every morning in the city of Zomba, Malawi, hundreds of children walk through the gates of Zomba CCAP Primary School with the same dream as students anywhere in the world: to learn, grow, and build a better future. (Watch video clips below)
Just a few minutes from the District Education Office, the school serves 586 students—322 boys and 264 girls—from Standard 1 through Standard 8. Twenty-four dedicated teachers work tirelessly to educate them, often with limited resources but an enormous commitment to their students.
On the surface, the school looks like a place full of hope. Classrooms are busy, teachers are dedicated, and the kitchen prepares warm porridge for students each day. But behind the scenes, a simple challenge threatens the health and dignity of every child at the school: access to safe water and sanitation.
Although water flows to the school from the city water system, students have almost no way to use it safely. The entire school relies on one standpipe without a tap, with exposed pipes that frequently leak. There are no handwashing stations, even next to the toilets.
The toilets themselves are in very poor condition. The school has 12 squat toilets, but many have broken fixtures, blocked pipes, and damaged wastewater systems. One septic tank has a broken cover, and another abandoned tank sits uncovered, posing a danger to children playing nearby.
The toilets themselves are in very poor condition. The school has 12 squat toilets, but many have broken fixtures, blocked pipes, and damaged wastewater systems. One septic tank has a broken cover, and another abandoned tank sits uncovered, posing a danger to children playing nearby.
For girls, the challenges are even greater. The school has a small changing room, but there is no safe or private system for disposing of menstrual pads. Many girls must walk to an open dumpsite about 40 meters from the classrooms to dispose of their waste. For some students, this embarrassment or discomfort causes them to miss school entirely during parts of each month.
Even the kitchen that prepares porridge for the children has no tap, making cooking and cleaning difficult.
Yet the community is doing everything it can. Families contribute a small school fee—about $1 per child per term—to help pay for water bills. Sometimes the city council helps when funds run out. But a full solution is simply beyond what the community can afford on its own.
That is where a partnership with a school in the United States could make a life-changing difference.
With support, Zomba CCAP Primary School could transform its water and sanitation facilities by:
- Installing a 5,000–10,000 liter water storage tank so water is always available
- Adding 8 new taps across the school so students and teachers can access clean water
- Repairing and upgrading all toilets with child-friendly fixtures and handwashing stations
- Building a safe, private menstrual hygiene disposal system for girls
- Providing education about reusable menstrual products and hygiene
These improvements would impact every one of the 586 students who attend the school—helping them stay healthy, attend class consistently, and learn in an environment that respects their dignity.
For a U.S. school looking for a meaningful service project, this is an opportunity to create a powerful connection across the world. Students could raise funds, learn about life in Malawi, and see firsthand how their efforts can help other students just like them.
Because when students have clean water, safe toilets, and dignity, they gain something even more important:
The chance to focus on learning and building their future.
And with the help of student partners across the world, that future can start today.
H2O for Life partners with experienced NGO organizations around the world that build and support clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education projects in schools. These NGO partners cover half the total cost of every project funded through H2O for Life.
When students raise money for a project, 90% of the funds go directly to the project, and 10% supports the work that makes the project possible. This includes choosing trusted partners, managing funds responsibly, checking on projects, and reporting back so students can see the impact of their work.
This helps ensure every project is done well, stays sustainable, and truly changes lives.
In rare situations, we reserve the right to reallocate funds to alternate project(s).
Questions? Ask us at 651-756-7577 or info@h2oforlifeschools.org.
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