Freshwater Legacy
Charles Banda: Malawi’s Water Man
Our story began with Charles Banda, an extraordinary Malawian whose life of resilience and compassion sparked a movement. Orphaned at age 7, he would hide a bottle of murky water to retrieve on his long, barefoot walk home from school. Despite these hardships, Charles funded his own education, became a firefighter, and spent weekends preaching in rural villages. Seeing the devastating effects of contaminated water, he felt called to act. This led to the founding of Freshwater Project Malawi, a grassroots organization dedicated to bringing clean water to underserved communities. Before his passing in 2013, Charles had touched over a million lives, becoming a beloved figure across Malawi and thousands attended his funeral services. His legacy lives on through the work he began.
Friendship & Freshwater
Freshwater Project International grew from a friendship formed in 2004, fueled by a shared vision of providing clean water to all in Malawi. Inspired by Charles Banda’s passion and the water crisis in Malawi, Heidi Rickels and filmmaker Amy Hart founded the U.S.-based organization in 2011 and became an official implementing organization registered in Malawi in 2013. What started as grassroots support has evolved into a lasting effort, with Freshwater Project International delivering clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to Malawians over 20 years later. Today, we continue this mission in honor of Charles, carrying forward his legacy in Malawi.
