Giving Update: Kimigi Kyamatama Community

February, 2021

A year ago, your generous donation helped Kimigi Kyamatama Community in Uganda access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Rachel K. Thank you!

Giving Update: Kimigi Kyamatama Community


Rachel is a 16-year-old and now a primary seven pupil at Kisalizi Primary School was interviewed about what it was like before the project was completed, and she said, "I would return home from school at 5:30 pm go to the well/water source and get back home at 6:30 pm. I would then join my mother in the kitchen to do the different home chores and retire to bed at 10:00 pm. I hardly read/revised my books in the nights because I would be tired and sleepy." she said.

"I would then wake up as early as 6:00 am, go to the well and collect a 20-liter jerrycan, prepare and get dressed up run a 1 km to school where I would take about 25 minutes. This was so stressing especially when I would meet other children at the well in the morning. I usually reached school late and would end up being punished. I hated drawing water at home in the morning but had no option,'' she said.

"Before COVID, I would wake up at 6:00 am, revise my notes up to 7:00 am. prepare my self and run to school, then return from school at 5:30 pm. I would then go and collect water if there is no water at home, but most times, my mum and siblings collected the water during the day," she said.

"But now since schools are closed, I wake up at 6:00 pm go to the garden with the rest of my family members, return at 11:00 am to attend lessons on Television channels up to 1:00 pm when I prepare lunch for my parents and other elder relatives as they return from the garden. I collect water in the afternoon with my other siblings up to 3:00 pm when we return to the garden with my father."

Rachel

"I love collecting water because my dad easily trusts me with his bicycle to help transport the jerrycans, unlike in the past where he was scared that someone could steal the bicycle away from me while at the isolated source," she concluded.

When Rachael was asked about some of the things the water point has helped her achieve, she said, "Before COVID, I would no longer worry about coming home early to collect water. Now that I am in a candidate class, I would remain at school and revise with my colleagues since I would collect water in the morning before I go to school."

She continued saying, "However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I no longer go to school but get enough time to revise my books at home since I can now collect water any time."

Rachel and other community members fetch water.



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