Alliance One spends K39 million on Lilongwe city schools borehole program
One of the country’s leading tobacco buying companies Alliance One Tobacco Malawi Limited (AOTM) has spent over K39 million in drilling boreholes for ten primary and secondary schools based in Lilongwe city which were facing severe water shortages due to unreliable piped water supply from Lilongwe Water board.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony of the 10 boreholes to the government schools at Kalambo primary school in Lilongwe, Alliance One Malawi corporate affairs manager Fran Malila said her company is committed in complementing government efforts that aim at increasing access to clean water and better hygienic facilities in public schools across the country.
According to Malila her company has spent a total of US$51 997.85 which is equivalent to K39, 998 388.00 to drill the 10 boreholes and also build the capacity of 110 borehole management committee and water- point members from the beneficiary communities.
“With financial support from Imperial Tobacco Group of United Kingdom, Alliance One selected and prioritized the 10 sites for the borehole projects which were drilled in 9 public primary schools as well as to one orphanage center.
“Further to that our company also repaired some four boreholes which got malfunctioned at Magwero CDSS as well as at Mkoma and Kalonga Primary Schools,” said Malila.
She further explained that the borehole drilling program is part of her company’s corporate social responsibility in response to the 2016/2017 National Disaster Appeal for Humanitarian Relief Assistance by the government of Malawi.
“This corporate social responsibility initiative was established in response to the 2016/2017 National Disaster Appeal for Humanitarian Relief Assistance and it has been successfully implemented in collaboration with the technical supervision of the department of water resources in the ministry of agriculture, Irrigation and water development,” explained Malila.
She added that through the same corporate social responsbility program, the Lilongwe based tobacco-buying company intends to drill additional boreholes in the peri-urban schools in the capital city.
Malila however advised the beneficiary schools and communities to take proper care of the boreholes in order to sustain the project for future economic and community gains.
In her remarks Mvunguti zone Primary Education Advisor (PEA) Chrissie Bondo expressed gratitude to Alliance One Malawi for the contribution it is making to the social economic development of the country and Lilongwe district in particular.
Bondo recalled that the company has, over the years, implemented various projects, not only in tobacco growing rural areas, but also in urban areas throughout the country.
“We acknowledge and appreciate your involvement and support in crucial sectors such as Education, Health, Sanitation/Water, and Environmental Management. I strongly believe that the donated boreholes will motivate pupils and improve school attendance, which is very encouraging,” she said.
The 10 public institutions that have benefitted from the project include Mbvunguti Primary and CDSS, Kabwabwa, Kalambo, Chiuzimbi, Chipala, Shire Urban, Chatata, Malikha and Tsoka-mkanansi primary schools as well as Adziwa Orphanage center.
It is expected that 35, 416 school going children and 45, 200 community members will directly benefit from the project through improved sanitation and clean source of water for domestic purposes.
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