Rwabaraata Community School, Ntungamo, Uganda

Project Snapshot

Country: Uganda

GPS Coordinates:
  Latitude -1.036467
  Longitude 30.339667

Impact:
  Total Served: 300

Status:  Completed (What's This?)

Completion Date (or estimate): 06/07/2012

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Upon completion of the project, our implementing partner reported...

The people of the village of Ntungamo depend on farming and subsistence agriculture for their livelihood. When the LWI Uganda team arrived, community members were utilizing an unprotected hand dug well located two kilometers away from the community to meet all of their water needs. Because of this families were left suffering from malaria, diarrhea and other preventable water related illnesses. The LWI Uganda team was pleased to hear that the community utilizes covered latrine pits which will help prevent further spread of diseases in the area. During the teams’ stay, a water committee consisting of twelve men and five women made food for the team. This water committee is also responsible for collecting a monthly well maintenance fee of 1000 shillings per household to help sustain the community’s water source. In keeping with our Strategic Plan launched in January of 2011, LWI’s plan is to train communities to maintain water projects for sustainability. If communities slip back into a situation where they must rely on unimproved water sources, our donors’ investment is compromised. To help prevent this occurrence, Ling Water International engages communities to help in planning managing and monitoring of the rural water supply. The primary school is located within the community and now 178 students, teachers and administrative personnel all have access to safe, clean water. LWI also provided community member, Mr. Batungure with a LWI Uganda contact number in case the well were to fall into disrepair, become subject to vandalism or theft. In an effort to ensure project sustainability, LWI program staff is also responsible for visiting the well site annually.

The LWI Uganda team had the opportunity to meet with twenty-six year old, teacher, Ms. Alice, Atukunda, who stated, "I feel so happy for this bore hole and I feel honored, (small as we are) that you considered our school to be among the schools who received this opportunity to have clean water; is a miracle to me, because I have never thought such a big thing could happen to us. We have suffered for so long having to use dirty water from the dam. Imagine sharing the same source with the animals. The owner of the dam dug it for his cows to drink but that is the water we have been using all along! We are saved by Living water to solve the problem of water, this gives me hope that God is still doing a lot of things for us, He has not forgotten us at all we are still His people."

During the hygiene education, the LWI Uganda team addresses: Hand washing, how to properly transport and store water, disease transmission and prevention, how to maintain proper care of the pump, as well as signs and symptoms of dehydration and how to make Oral Rehydration Solution. All of these lessons are taught in a participatory method to help community members discover ways to improve their hygiene and sanitation choices, and implement community driven solutions.

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Recent Project Updates

06/08/2012: Another School With Clean Water In Uganda

We are excited to report that a new well is delivering clean water to the Rwabaraata Community School, Ntungamo, Uganda!  We have just posted an update from the field including new pictures and GPS coordinates