Alive & Well project
ROLES: Creative Director, Writer, Designer, Fundraiser, Point of Contact
This particular project stretched me a bit for sure, in a positive way. The goal of the project was to raise $10K to provide clean, running water for a clinic in Malawi, Africa. To meet this goal, constant communication with coworkers, customers, and vendors was required. I was tasked with creating that communication and given the leeway for how that would look and also the voice in which the message would be communicated. The goal was met and in fact, it was exceeded by nearly doubled and so too was the project's impact.
Backstory -
The clinic in Kang'oma Village in Malawi, Africa serves patients from several miles around it, and is the sole option for expectant mothers. The clinic would see near 500 births a year, and prior to this project, did not have running water and was not able to provide clean water for cleaning, drinking or cooking. At the time of this project, Malawi had the highest rate of infant mortality in all of Africa and had one doctor for every 50,000 people.
The Project & Goal
The goal of the project was to deliver and install a submersible pump system, freestanding well, and new piping to ensure the clinic would have running water. Starting at the end of April, $10,000 needed to be raised before the end of June.
If successful, the new water source would provide running water both inside and outside the clinic, allowing for improved sanitation, and would also ensure that patients and their families would not have to travel far distances to retrieve water.
The Outcome
All told, nearly $20,000 was raised. With the surplus, not only was the stated project goal met, but running water was able to be supplied to the onsite residences that were in place for the doctors and staff, and electricity was also installed in these residences and updated for the clinic. Another challenge the clinic faced was both attracting and keeping doctors, as living conditions were extremely challenging even for those accustomed to less comfort and harsher conditions.
