Good News, a very successful 2024

Dear Donors,

I am delighted to report another very successful year in 2024 for the project, with the completion of two projects in Zambia directly impacting the lives of those in need, with a total expenditure of approximately €65,000 (including research and related costs):

Special Orphanage Project

We received an urgent request for assistance from Immaculate Wellness Sanctuary - an orphanage and school serving vulnerable children near Kabwe, to provide clean drinking water for the children and staff at the sanctuary. After investigations and testing, we successfully drilled a borehole, sourced a high-quality water flow, and installed a solar-powered water pump connected to a 10,000L elevated water tank with piping to the sanctuary’s facilities—a truly impactful initiative.

Water Pump Refurbishment (Phase 2)

At our core, we believe the basic provision of local water sources is a fundamental right. Despite delays caused by difficult conditions and terrain, we completed the refurbishment of an additional 78 water pumps across 28 schools in Muchinga Province and 50 schools in Central Province, clean drinking water was directly provided to over 82,000 beneficiaries (school children and community members).

St. Faustina Parish Residential Compound

At the 40,000 person St. Faustina Parish Residential Compound, outside of Lusaka, we purchased and installed 9 solar panels, custom built an elevated frame to secure the panels and repaired the pump house, to provide electricity to the community for their water pump. The water tap has 500 visitors daily, obtaining 20 liters of water per person. This was a very small project, building on the work already in place, but positively impacts the lives of the community.

The Project Advisory Committee remains under the capable leadership of Colm MacCarvill, with continued strategic oversight provided by Darina Mulligan, Pat Faulkner, and myself. On the ground in Zambia, we are deeply grateful for the dedication and expertise of Fr. Martin McGowan, Bright Chimbwe, and Jane Mutambo, who ensure that each project is delivered with integrity, efficiency, and community engagement. On a personal note, I am delighted to share that my grandson, Hugo Mulligan, will be visiting Zambia in May 2025. Hugo has shown a strong interest in the project’s mission and will be staying with Bright and Jane during his time there. We look forward to sharing more about his visit in due course.

I hope you will see fit to continue to support this vital work. Together, we are changing lives — one water pump at a time.

With heartfelt thanks,

Derek Mulligan

Founder, African Water Project

Project 2024

 

Water Pump Refurbishment Project – Muchinga and Central Provinces (Phase 2)

In line with our mission to provide clean drinking water at the lowest possible cost per beneficiary, the African Water Project successfully completed Phase 2 of our major refurbishment initiative in Muchinga Province. Building on the 2023 refurbishment of 76 sites across five districts, the final phase, delivered in late 2024 and early 2025, resulted in the refurbishment of an additional 78 hand pumps, benefitting thousands more children and their communities.

The refurbishment work included:

• 28 schools in Muchinga Province

• 50 schools in Central Province

These installations now provide reliable, safe drinking water to children who previously had no consistent access, significantly improving health, sanitation, and school attendance — particularly for girls who often miss class to fetch water.

The project was delivered at a total cost of ZMK 1,691,840 (approximately €57,995), with cost efficiency continuing to be a hallmark of our approach:

• Total pump cost: ZMK 1,345,500 (approximately €46,400), with a unit cost per pump: ZMK 17,250 (approximately €595)

• Logistics and implementation cost (transport and oversight): ZMK 346,440 (approximately €11,900)

We are proud to report that this phase maintained our commitment to operational efficiency, with 100% of donor funds directly supporting fieldwork and infrastructure improvements.

Special Orphanage Project

– Immaculate Wellness Sanctuary, Kabwe

In 2024, we were approached with an urgent appeal from the Immaculate Wellness Sanctuary - an orphanage and school serving vulnerable children near Kabwe. The sanctuary lacked access to clean and reliable drinking water, placing the health of its children and staff at risk. The project was costed at approximately ZMK 95,620 (€4,200).

Thanks to the generous contribution from our donors, we were able to implement a robust and sustainable water solution:

  • A borehole was drilled and a high-quality water source successfully tapped.

  • A solar-powered water pump was installed to ensure continuous and environmentally friendly water extraction.

  • A 10,000-litre elevated storage tank was erected, with full piping laid to connect directly to the sanctuary’s kitchen, sanitation, and accommodation facilities.

This life-changing project now provides safe, clean drinking water daily to over 300 children (in addition to the local community), significantly improving health, nutrition, and overall well-being. It stands as a shining example of how timely action, guided by need, can create lasting transformation. We are incredibly proud of the work and impact of this project.

St. Faustina Parish Residential Compound

At the end of 2024, Fr. Martin identified a small project at the S. Faustina Parish residential compound - home to approximately 40,000 residents just outside Lusaka, where we completed a small but impactful project to support the community’s existing water infrastructure. We purchased and installed nine solar panels, custom-built elevated frame to secure the panels and repaired the pump house, to provide a sustainable electricity source for the community’s water pump. The tap now serves approximately 500 individuals every day, each collecting up to 20 liters of clean drinking water. While modest in scope, this project significantly enhances daily life by ensuring consistent access to a critical resource. The total cost of the project was ZMK 77,000 (approximately €2,585).

Post Installation 12-Month Review & 2025 Project Research

As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability, we have in recent years engaged Jane to conduct post-installation evaluations 12 months after each project cycle. This research has proven invaluable in assessing long-term performance and ensuring donor funds are delivering sustained impact.

In her review of the 76 pump installations completed in Muchinga Province in 2023, Jane identified two sites where pumps were not operating at optimal levels. One pump appears to be underperforming due to a suspected leakage, while the other delivers water inconsistently during the dry season due to poor supply.

Looking ahead to 2025, Jane has already completed research across 100 schools in the Northern Province. A final determination on the scope of the 2025 programme will be made in the coming weeks, subject to available funding.

African Water Identity

Our Vision

All communities in Africa have access to sustainable and reliable water.

Our Mission

To transform the lives of people in the poorest and most marginalised commu-

nities in Africa, by improving their access to safe water.

Our Values

1. Efficiency: 100% of our donors funds go directly to funding water projects.

2. Transparency: We communicate regularly to all stakeholders on funds, costs and project delivered.

3. Respect: We engage with all cultures and communities with dignity and respect.

4. Integrity: We do the right thing and ensure compliance with all legislation, cultures and communities we serve.

Our Objectives

1. Installation of hand-operated water supplies in rural schools.

2. Refurbishment, maintenance and up-grading of defunct installations.

3. Establishment of training programmes to support communities to maintain and repair the installations.

4. Specific water projects to support rural communities.

Our USP

We actively source and refurbish existing defunct installations. All donor funds go directly to installing water projects as independent funding is in place for any overheads.

Governance

The approach adopted in 2022 by the Project Advisory Committee to create the "African Water Fund" within The Community Foundation for Ireland has proven to be a continued success. The fund was established with the objective of ensuring that operations adhere to the highest industry standards. This strategic move allows African Water to harness the governance and benefits of a charitable organization while minimizing administrative expenses.

The establishment of the fund within The Community Foundation for Ireland is a testament to our unwavering commitment to utilizing donor contributions exclusively for the provision of safe drinking water to our beneficiaries. Importantly, no donor funds are allocated for the operation of the fund itself, as independent financing has been secured to cover any associated costs often categorized as "overheads." This ensures that every donation directly contributes to our mission of delivering clean drinking water in Zambia.

Project Advisory Committee

  • Derek Mulligan

    Derek is the founder and has been the driver of the project since 2005. Formerly a Chartered Town Planning Surveyor, Derek retired from Hamilton Osborne King in 2000. Since 2005 he has been actively involved in a variety of projects in Zambia and over the last 12 years has concentrated exclusively on projects which provide drinking water in schools, which would otherwise have no chance of water being provided by the Government.

  • Colm MacCarvill

    Colm is currently Head of Ireland, Company Director and Assistant General Counsel within the Squarespace Group. A director of several private companies and an Independent Director at Sports Dispute Solutions Ireland.

    Colm served as a Non-Executive Director at The Anne Sullivan Centre for people who are DeafBlind for a period of 9 years and previously served as chairperson and board member for the Finglas drug addiction service, Sankalpa.

  • Darina Mulligan

    Darina is an executive and leadership coach. She has 20 years commercial experience designing and delivering development programmes across the FMCG, Tech, not-for-profit and food industry in Ireland and the UK. Darina works with teams and individuals to establish empowering, results oriented and meaningful goals that deliver sustainable growth and success. She is passionate about cultivating a culture of wellbeing to enable dynamic leaders and thriving teams for the future. Darina is a member of the Project Advisory Committee.

  • Pat Faulkner

    Pat has extensive experience working with, and advising Companies, Partnerships and Individuals on financial restructuring, refinancing, banking, and strategic commercial planning. Previously, Group Chief Executive of Riverdance and appointed to provide Irish Rail with independent Finance and Accounting expertise to the Board. Pat agreed to sit on the Project Advisory Committee with a particular focus on financial governance and strategic advice.

Team in Zambia

  • Fr. Martin McGowan

    Martin is an Irish priest with a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree. Martin is invaluable and the key person-in-charge of the project in Zambia. Martin worked with John Pittock from the inception of CareAid, and was pivotal in advising on appropriate projects to be supported, and in monitoring and supervising projects as they progressed to completion. Martin is vital to the project in Zambia.

  • Bright Chimbwe

    Bright is our Site Supervisor. He also instals hand pumps and constructs the concrete protective apron around the pump. Bright has a background in light engineering, and has obtained an electrical qualification as well as attending training courses on water issues and installations.

  • Jane Mutambo

    Jane is our Research Assistant responsible for carrying out the annual survey to identify a short list of schools with a need for clean drinking water and conducting the annual review of prior installations. Jane has third level training n psychology, sociology, and social development.

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Support our mission

African Water’s aim is to use 100% of our donors’ funds on providing water to those in need in Zambia. In order to keep our project administration overheads at zero, African Water’s donations are processed through a special project fund within The Community Foundation for Ireland (Charity No: CHY 13967 / Charities Regulator Number: 20044886) — this allows African Water to receive the benefits and governance of a charitable organisation without significant administration costs. Any administrative costs associated with the foundation are funded privately and do not require the use of any donor funds.

If donating electronically, please state “African Water”:

Name of Bank: AIB Address: 37/38 O’Connell Street, Dublin 1

Account name: The Community Foundation for Ireland Ltd

Bank: Allied Irish Bank

BIC: AIBKIE2D

IBAN: IE38AIBK93113664723029

Colm MacCarvill, Darina Mulligan, Pat Faulkner and Derek Mulligan are authorised representatives for the fund.

Charitable Donation Scheme (Revenue Tax Relief Scheme for Charities)

As a private donor, you can help the charity to claim tax relief on your donation by completing either:

• Enduring Certificate – CHY3 Certificate valid for a period of five years

• Annual Certificate – CHY4 Certificate valid for a period of one year

There is no obligation to permit African Water (or any other approved body) to claim tax relief in respect of your donations, but if you are willing, African Water via the Community Foundation will send you the CHY4 certificate to complete and return to Revenue.