Muthi Nhlema
Malawi is in a groundwater crisis: about a third of water points don't work, and 30% of handpumps break within five years of installation. With little reliable data on where water is or how it’s used, it’s super hard to fix the problem—let alone prevent it.
The Idea
The Right Boreholes in the Right Places in Malawi
Organization
Organization
BASEflow
Mission
Keep groundwater flowing.
How it Works
BASEflow pulls together scattered groundwater data and turns it into something government can actually use. They figure out what’s really going on underground—then help local teams act on it, whether that means recharging aquifers, regulating boreholes or managing water use before the wells run dry.
The Dream
Governments everywhere collect the right data to understand the barriers to keep groundwater flowing. They use that data to prompt the right action at the right time, ranging from recharging catchment areas to regulating or repairing boreholes.
Why We Picked Muthi
Muthi is a trained civil engineer. He first got deep into water while working at Water For People, where he saw firsthand how quickly Malawi’s aquifers were drying up—and how urgently the sector needed to rethink its approach. Since he started BASEflow, they've restored water access to over 200K Malawians, rehabilitated over 400 boreholes, and are building the data platform that make it easier to keep groundwater flowing. Translating data to action in complex systems is always hard, but we bet BASEflow can deliver.
