Malawi, a country in Southern Africa, is one of the poorest nations in the world where less than 50% of its population have access to safe clean drinking water.

This month, World Vision (WV) and Charity Water have teamed up to help these water-stressed populations by launching the International Water Month, and therefore pledging 1 million USD for water projects in that country.

The joint intervention consists of 55 new wells and 40 rehabilitated wells planned for the whole 2013, which is set to benefit more than 20 000 Malawians.

Clean water, sanitation and good hygiene are basic necessities most Americans take for granted, but for many children around the world, they can be the difference between life and death, the US-based aid agency WV said in a statement.

“Imagine what life is like when you have to walk for miles every time you need water,” WV President Rich Stearns said.

“Because it is so fundamental to our existence, there is no other humanitarian intervention that has a more dramatic effect on children and families than access to clean water and sanitation,” Streams added.

“We are deeply grateful for Charity Water’s innovative partnership.”

Charity Water CEO and Founder Scott Harrison thanked his organisation’s donors who he said worked hard to make this project a reality.

More than 300 million Africans out of a population of 1.1 billion have no access to clean water, and more than 640 million people lack basic sanitation, according to independent statistics.

The figures are staggering as the world draws near the finish line of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The World Bank and many experts believe many African countries will not meet most of these goals.