For many rural families across Africa, access to clean water has always been a daily challenge, one that stretches far beyond the tobacco fields. Woman and children often walk long distances to collect water, spending hours on a task that should take minutes. Recognizing the strain this places on families, Universal Corporation and its subsidiaries have made water access a priority, investing in borehole projects that bring safe, clean drinking water closer to home.
In Mozambique, our subsidiary, Mozambique Leaf Tobacco Limitada (MLT), has led efforts to provide reliable water sources year after year. Beginning in 2015, MLT installed two boreholes in the communities of Nungo in the Marrupa District and the Joho school in the Mandimba District. The following year, four more borehoes were planned, each one representing not just a well, but a lifeline for healthier families and stronger communities.
In neighboring Malawi, another one of our subsidiaries, Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company (LLTC), has installed several boreholes serving more than 1,800 people. These boreholes improved the quality of drinking water, reduced health risks, and lower medical costs for families. Perhaps most importantly, they help protect children: with water access close to home, young people are no longer burdened with long walks to collect water, giving them more time for education and play.
The benefits ripple outward, improving health, strengthening livelihoods, and creating the foundation for long-term economic growth. For Universal, projects like these are a natural extension of our commitment to farmers and their families. Supporting communities beyond the growing season means addressing their most basic needs and investing in opportunities that improve quality of life. Clean water is more than a resource; it’s the beginning of a brighter, more sustainable future.
