One of the main causes of the water crisis in Malawi is lack of infrastructure and the disrepair of existing wells. In many villages, even a community well is too great a luxury for the people to afford, and in those cases, families must find other ways to meet their needs. Women and girls are usually tasked with water collection, and they may need to walk an hour or more to reach the nearest water source — usually a muddy stream or hand-dug hole beside a dry river bed, where ground water can be dipped out.