CUSTOMERS of South West Water have helped play a vital role in transforming lives around the world by raising more than £11.4 million for WaterAid.

Since 1990, their generosity continues to make a lasting impact, with an incredible £653,000 raised in the past year alone – enough to provide clean water to over 30,000 people worldwide.

With World Water Day this month, it serves as a reminder that through the support of these donations, WaterAid has been able to work alongside communities around the world to bring clean water to people facing severe challenges.

This support has enabled WaterAid to make a meaningful difference in regions like Mangochi District, Malawi, where communities are grappling with extreme drought, food insecurity, and the devastating aftermath of a cholera outbreak.

Thanks to SWW customers, WaterAid is partnering with local organisations to bring clean, reliable water to the area. The project includes a solar-powered water system and eight taps, ensuring a steady supply of water to the local primary school and surrounding communities.

Sileni Gunizani, 33, washing clothes with clean water in M’doko, Malawi
Sileni Gunizani, 33, washing clothes with clean water in M’doko, Malawi (Sophie Harris-Taylor)

Sileni Gunizani, a 33-year-old mother from Mangochi, shared the life-changing impact the new water system has had on her community. She said: “The past was a time of hardship. Life was hard then, but now there is water nearby. When the children come back from school and are doing their household chores, they can just draw however much water they need at that moment, then go and do whatever they want afterwards.”

The installation of this new water system means women and girls no longer have to spend hours walking long distances to collect dirty water, enabling them to focus on education, work and their families.

Dani Twelvetree, South West Water’s WaterAid Co-Chair, added: “We are incredibly proud of the support our customers have provided to WaterAid. The positive impact their contributions have made is truly remarkable. Access to clean water is essential to health and wellbeing, and our customers are helping to make a lasting difference in communities that need it most.”