How Your Travel is Helping Bring Clean Water to Rural Malawi

When students and educators travel with Jumpstreet by WorldStrides, their journey can make an impact far beyond the classroom. Through the Choose Earth program, carbon offset contributions help support the Malawi Safe Water Supply Project—an initiative that is improving access to reliable, safe drinking water in the rural communities of Malawi. 

Since April 2024, travellers have helped fund the construction of new water points, the repair of existing community pumps, and local training programs that strengthen long-term water access in the Dowa and Kasungu districts. Together, these efforts are creating meaningful environmental and social change. 

Why Clean Water Access Matters

In many rural areas of Malawi, families rely on unprotected water sources such as rivers or shallow wells. To make this water safe for drinking, it must often be boiled over open fires. This daily reality can lead to:

• Greenhouse gas emissions from firewood use 

• Deforestation and environmental degradation 

• Health risks linked to unsafe water 

• Significant time burdens—often placed on women and children 

Improving access to safe water helps reduce these challenges while supporting healthier, more resilient communities. 

A Sustainable Solution: Boreholes and Community Pumps 

One of the key ways the project improves water access is through the installation and restoration of boreholes—deep, narrow wells that reach protected underground water sources.

Once a borehole is drilled or repaired, a simple handpump allows community members to safely collect clean water close to home. This reduces the need for long daily journeys and eliminates the reliance on firewood to boil drinking water. 

Community Training and Long-Term Sustainability 

The Malawi Safe Water Supply Project focuses not only on infrastructure, but also on building local capacity. Communities participate in: 

• Training on borehole maintenance and water quality testing 
  

• WASH (Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene) education sessions

• Technical audits to ensure water points remain functional over time 

By equipping communities with the skills to maintain their own water systems, the project helps ensure lasting benefits for future generations.

Impact on People and the Environment

Improved access to safe drinking water creates meaningful change for both communities and the planet.

By reducing the need to boil water over open fires, the project helps lower carbon emissions and eases pressure on local forests. At the same time, families experience tangible social benefits: children can spend more time in school, women spend less time collecting water, and the risk of waterborne illness decreases.

Over time, these improvements strengthen community resilience and support sustainable development. 

Supporting Global Goals 

The project also contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: 

• SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing

• SDG 5 – Gender Equality

• SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation

• SDG 13 – Climate Action
  

Through Choose Earth, travellers play a small but meaningful role in advancing these global priorities.

How Your Support Adds Up

Thanks to our travellers' contributions and company match, CA$115,665 was directed to the project in 2025, bringing reliable, safe drinking water to thousands of families while reducing carbon emissions. Every motorcoach trip is automatically opted in to the carbon offset program, while  groups travelling by air can choose to offset their flight emissions, with WorldStrides Canada covering half the cost. 

Make Your Next Trip Part of the Impact 

By choosing a carbon-conscious trip, your journey becomes more than travel—it becomes a chance to create lasting change. Find out more about the Choose Earth program and how your next trip can make a difference. 

WorldStrides Canada is proud to be a certified B Corporation, reflecting our commitment to using educational travel as a force for positive social and environmental impact.