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   Sarah Phiri's life has changed dramatically since her community decided to install a new borehole well in their village of Mzikawola, Malawi. Before the well, Sarah said, the women of the village "had to walk for an hour each way to a river to get clean water." In addition to the physical exhaustion of having to walk so far, Sarah added that the quality of the water was very bad. "We suffered from many diseases which are absent now,". Sarah also said that at her age - which she calculated within 5 years by counting back to the last locust infestation and guessing at how old she would have been then - she is getting too old to walk long distances with big pots of water. Two UN organizations, the UN Capital Development Fund and the UN Development Programme, are working with the Government of Malawi to support a number of programmes that empower people like Sarah and her neighbours by giving them greater access to choices and resources. One of these programmes is supporting the country's efforts to bring decision-making and budgetary authority down to the level of local government, and is channeling grant capital resources to a level where they, together with contributions from local communities, are having a direct impact on poverty. UNCDF believes that the decentralized and participatory development planning process promotes greater accountability from the local leadership, and more transparency in the allocation of resources. Furthermore, it encourages a more predictable development planning process, which is critical if local authorities are to make long-term plans for their communities. A key feature of this programme is the direct linkage between the pilot activities on the ground, such as the one which provided Sarah's village with its water supply, and the formation of national policy that empowers local governments with funds and the power to make decisions. The extra two hours that the women of Sarah's village save each day by not having to hike the long distance for water have opened up new opportunities. Sarah said some spend more time in their fields, growing additional food that improves both nutrition and family finances. The extra food is sold in the market or traded for other types of produce. "A simple well has brought us more benefits than just a clean and dependable source of water," said Sarah. "It has brought everything from peace of mind to better living." Malawi, where Sarah lives, is one of the 49 poorest countries in the world. More than half of the 650 million people who live in these countries survive on less than one dollar a day. The 3rd UN Conference on Least Developed Countries will address their economic isolation and extreme poverty. FIND OUT MORE about how the UN supports projects and programmes that give people like Sarah a chance to build more prosperous lives for themselves, their families and their communities. Click on the links next to Sarah. ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT STORIES: Thérèse has a business plan Mamadou wants to market globally | Norma saves her time | Armando makes a choice |
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