More Than A Job: The Men Who Drill For Hope

On Labour Day, we often think of teachers, nurses, or builders.

But far from the spotlight, deep in the fields of Malawi, there’s another kind of worker – one whose labour brings something every community needs to survive: Clean water.

They are borehole drillers.

You may not hear about their job often. The hours are long. The machines are loud. The tools are heavy. And when something breaks, it can bring the work – and a village’s hopes – to a halt.

It’s a calling.

The Day the Songs Rose in their Village

At dawn, the team arrived in Sanikonda Village, where 200 people had waited their whole lives for safe water. As the crew began setting up the rig, a sound rose to meet them – women singing, dancing, ululating in joy.

“They have never had clean water before. They drink from shallow wells filled with leaves, mud, animal waste—the same water animals drink. Children get sick. Some die,” says Frederick Phiri, a local health worker.

For the drillers, the moment is familiar – and sacred. The songs of hope. The prayers in the dust. The knowledge that what they’re about to do could change everything.

Meet the Men Behind the Rig

Golden. Edwin. Moses. Salmo. Raphael. Howard. Stafford.

They have spent over a decade travelling from village to village, reading the earth like a map, chasing the sound of joy that comes with a gush of water.

We start every day with prayer. This job isn’t easy. We don’t just drill. We bring hope,” says Golden, the team leader.

They work with heavy tools and the wisdom of soil. They know when to switch from clay bits to hammer drills. They know how to read soil samples—colour, texture, moisture—every layer a clue.

“We feel proud when we see people dance. When water comes out, we know we’ve done something that matters,” says Salmo.

Setbacks in the Soil

But not every day ends with celebration.

Midway through drilling in Sanikonda, the unexpected happened. A chain tong snapped. A hydraulic pipe burst. The rig fell silent – and so did the singing.

“We were expecting to finish. But the equipment failed. The community doesn’t always understand. They think we are cheating them,” says Golden.

The truth is, the work is unpredictable. Sometimes the ground fights back. Sometimes the rig breaks. But the team never walks away.

“We were devastated. The water we use is filthy. I get sick. I’m often late for school because the borehole is far,” says Charity, 13.

“We rely on swamp water. I felt too much pain when I heard the borehole was broken. We need this,” adds Eunice, a mother of four.

Tomorrow, the team will return with spare parts. The drilling will resume.

And with it, the singing will rise again.

A Brotherhood Forged in Dust and Distance

Being a driller takes more than muscle.

It means sleeping under the stars. Cooking for one another. Laughing at nicknames and arguing over who’s the better cook. It also means missing your own family while you are busy helping someone else’s.

Over the years, these men have become more than colleagues – they’ve become a family.

When one gets married, the whole team turns up. When one falls sick, the others pause everything.

“When we hire, we ask: Can you live in the field? Are you a man of faith? This job – this calling – needs more than skill. It needs heart,” says Golden.

Clean Water Bursting Forth

The next day, the drillers returned to Sanikonda Village—tools repaired, spirits unbroken.

As the rig roared back to life, a hush fell over the crowd. Dust billowed. The pipes shook. Then, with a sudden rush, water burst forth from the earth—clear, fresh, and full of promise.

Cheers erupted! Women sang and danced. Children splashed and laughed. Elders wept tears of joy.

The water they had waited their whole lives for had finally come. Not just any water – but the beginning of new life, better health, and hope.

Salmo wiped the dust from his face and smiled.

“When the water comes, it’s not just victory for the village. It’s victory for all of us,” he said.

Water Is Just the Beginning

The drilling is part of something bigger.

Before the rig even arrives, the village is prepared. Residents gather bricks, sand, and stone to build the platform. Committees are formed to manage the water point. Families contribute small maintenance fees to ensure sustainability.

Clean water becomes a doorway to more.

Children learn to wash hands and wear shoes through Sesame Street WASH UP! with Muppet friends cheering them on. Churches join in too – preaching hygiene and the love of neighbour. Youth clubs visit the elderly, clean their homes, fetch water, and pray.

Labour with Lasting Impact

For these drillers, the job leaves a mark – not just on the land, but on the lives they touch and on themselves.

“I’ve grown spiritually. We start each day with devotions. I’ve built a house with this job. It’s more than a paycheck,” says Moses.

They don’t ask for praise. They don’t seek recognition. But today, on Labour Day, we celebrate their labour, the quiet work that echoes through every village and every child’s life.

Because what they’re doing isn’t just about digging for water. It’s about restoring dignity, hope, and a future for communities that have waited for too long. This is labour that leaves a legacy – not just on the land, but in the lives it touches.

Across the dry fields of Malawi, these men labour not in vain. They bring life—one borehole, one village at a time.

And today, we honour each one of them.

Find out more about our work to:

Provide Clean Water & Sanitation to children around the world – wherever they call home.

Give children clean water through Child Sponsorship

It’s More Than Water. It’s Life.