A consultant at wealth manager Mattioli Woods plc, has spearheaded a campaign to bring fresh water to villagers in Malawi, raising £21,520 for an area embattled with drought and water shortages.
Yasin Patel, from Leicester, commented;
“I have been overwhelmed from the support of colleagues, professional connections and family for this great cause which will go directly towards providing clean water for hundreds if not thousands of people in Malawi”.
In a world where more than 2 billion people still lack access to clean water, water well projects focus on areas where there is no access to clean drinking water due to economic impossibilities and harsh climate conditions. People, mostly women and children, travel kilometres multiple times a day to fetch water. The unclean water they fetch from streams and ponds often causes the spread of waterborne diseases.
Yasin said the safe water from the planned 10 wells will help to improve the health of the Malawi villagers and at the same time reduce the spread of disease and even death;
“Water is often available beneath the surface of a poverty-stricken community. Without having to travel for water, villagers will be freed to work, care for family and children attend school. The well will help to make sure that villagers will stay healthy and ensure they have a better future”.
Drilling works on the wells in and around Ntaja started last week with three digs already being completed. With two teams on site to complete the work, all the wells are estimated to be up and running with usable water by early July. The borehole wells will then provide a lifetime of clean and safe water for villagers in addition to giving access to water for livestock and vegetation.
Accountancy and tax advice firm Shipleys Tax in Sheffield also joined the water well campaign and managed to secure £8,210 as part of the overall amount raised.
The water project is part of Yasin’s fathers ongoing support to villages in Malawi. His father Mahomed Faruk Patel was born in Malawi and has dedicated his life to help build schools, orphanages and medical clinics in the area in addition to the weekly distribution of food.
If you have access to a workplace pension scheme, have you joined it and are you paying enough to ensure you receive the maximum pension contribution your employer will make for you? Effectively turning away this 'free money' from your employer will likely be your main pension-related regret in layer years!
Similarly, are you making the most of available tax and National Insurance savings such as salary exchange (speak to your employer about this) and higher rates of income tax relief, where applicable?
