Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 1,000 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2022

Functionality Status:  Low/No Water or Mechanical Breakdown

Last Checkup: 03/14/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

The area around the Kyamaiso Community is flat, with undulating plains covered mainly with food crops and sugarcane plantations. The most common livelihood for people in this region is farming.

The typical day consists of waking up at 6 AM to work in the garden. Due to water scarcity in the village, some opt to collect water before going to the garden. The men mainly have to collect water which is easier for them because they use bicycles and motorcycles as compared to the women who walk very long, tiring distances. After spending the morning in the garden, they return home around noon. The women prepare lunch, and it's served by 2 PM. After lunch, they rest until 3 PM, then head back to the gardens or collect more water. In contrast, others do domestic activities like washing clothes, collecting firewood, and preparing supper. Most return home in the early evening. Between 7-9 PM, they have time together with their families, watch TV or tell stories. Supper is served, and they retire to bed by 10 PM.

The major challenge facing the people in this community is the lack of water compared to the large population's demand for water. People have to move very long distances searching for water since the available water points are always overcrowded. Above all, the only health center in this community doesn't have water. Patients and their attendants always struggle to get water whenever they are admitted to the health center.


Asimwe Christopher, the village chairperson, shared how the current water situation affects him, "Due to the breakdown of the alternative water source, there has always been a lot of overcrowding at the functional point leading to frequent breakdowns. A lot of time is wasted in search of water instead of doing other productive things. In an attempt to resolve this, we are forced to travel to other villages to collect water which is very expensive in the long run."

Here’s what we’re going to do about it:

Rehabilitated Well

We are going to restore water to the broken-down borehole. Since this water point is located at the center of the village and easily accessible by the majority of people, unlike the springs which are located at the far ends of the village, when this borehole is restored to its original status, it will provide the community with easy access to clean and safe water. We will remove the old pump, clear out the well, reinstall a new stainless steel pump, and build a new well pad to protect the water.

Training

Training’s main objectives are the use of latrines and observing proper hygiene practices since these goals are inherently connected to the provision of clean water. Open defecation, water storage in unclean containers, and the absence of handwashing are all possible contaminants of a household water supply. Each participating village must achieve Open Defecation Free status (defined by one latrine per household) before the pump installation for a shallow hand-dug well.

This social program includes the assignment of 1 Community Development Officer (CDO) to each village. The CDO encourages each household to build an ideal homestead that consists of a latrine, handwashing facility, a separate structure for animals, a rubbish pit, and a drying rack for dishes.

We also implement the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach with each of our village partners. This aims to improve the sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors of a village. During these sessions, village leaders naturally emerge and push the community to realize that the current patterns of individual households – particularly the practice of open defecation – are unhealthy and affect the entire village. CLTS facilitates a process in which community members realize the negative consequences of their current water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviors and are inspired to take action. Group interactions are frequent motivators for individual households to build latrines, use the latrines, and demand that other families do the same.

Improved Sanitation

The aim is that all households own an improved latrine. Many families do not use a toilet but use the bush. Due to open defecation, feces are spread all over the village. This leads to waterborne diseases and contamination of groundwater and surface water. Our aim is that the community can live a healthy life free of preventable diseases. We endeavor that people will have both access to sustainable, clean water and access to sanitation at the end of our presence in the community. We have now organized families to form digging groups for latrine construction and empowered them with the tools they will need.

Project Updates


June, 2022: Kyamaiso Community Borehole Rehabilitation Complete!

A well rehabilitated in Kyamaiso, Uganda is already providing community members with clean, safe water! Additionally, we hosted a training where community members worked together to make a development action plan for their area. As a result, families are working to build new sanitation and hygiene facilities, tools, and habits that will help improve their living standards and enable a healthier life.

"I am no longer scared of people stealing our jerrycans since the congestion at the other water points has reduced," said 13-year-old Victor T. "My mother has also stopped complaining about my major delays at the water point as compared to before. I plan to support my parents fully on their farm unlike before when I was tasked to collect water. I will also ensure there is enough water for domestic use while at home and even for the animals."

Victor uses the well.

"The availability of water has eased my life," said 40-year-old housewife Scolastic Bamugwenge. "There are no more quarrels at my home because of late meals for the family as compared to before. The general cleanliness in my home will be improved because I will no longer use water sparingly since I can easily access water at any time of the day."

Scolastic at the well.

Scolastic also said she plans on starting a poultry business. "I now have enough water to give to the chickens and clean within the chicken house."

The dedication ceremony involved the members of the water and sanitation committee together with a few community members. The chairperson of the village gave a brief speech and the water point was officially handed over to them.

Rehabilitated Borehole Well

We worked with the community to determine the best possible site for this rehabilitation. After meetings and visits throughout the community, together we agreed that this borehole was the best option to work on.

Dismantling the old pump.

Throughout the construction process, several households volunteered to host the drilling technicians, giving them a place to sleep and food to eat throughout their stay.

The work team pulled up the old pump, cleared out the well, reinstalled a new stainless steel pump, and built a new well pad to once again seal off the well water from surface-level contaminants.

We conducted a yield test and checked the water’s quality to ensure the well’s ease of access and safety. With great results, we handed over the rehabilitated well to the community. The well is already providing safe, reliable water for the community’s daily use.

Training

The first training session focused on financial planning. We mobilized the community through a series of meetings that sensitized them on the importance and purpose of saving. This included meetings dedicated to creating a community profile, where participants map the physical environment and stakeholders in their own community. We also ran a participatory vulnerability capacity assessment exercise. In this session, community members mapped out their shared risks and opportunities, including the water point breaking down.

Next, we scheduled the savings group training date with the community. We planned for a one-day training to form the savings group and discuss the best practices for maintaining and managing it.

We worked with the community to establish a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) and a water user committee. The savings group set up a fund to provide small loans to each other and another fund they will use to pay for any repairs to the well if an issue arises. The group also agreed on a social fund that will provide grants to fellow group members and help them with funeral expenses or catastrophes such as fire damage. Our teams will provide follow-up training to support putting the savings group into practice while also offering continuous coaching in records management.

Additional training sessions focused on hygiene and sanitation at the personal, household, community, and environmental levels. In collaboration with the community facilitator and local leaders, we trained households on critical hygiene and sanitation facilities to build. These include latrines, dish racks, refuse pits, handwashing facilities, and bathing shelters. Our teams monitor these facilities’ construction while helping the community learn how to best use and care for them.

Finally, we led an additional training for local artisans to teach them how to fabricate and sell locally used and accepted sanitation products that allow for more hygienic and accessible latrines.

Just as with the financial training, we will continue to support the community in their sanitation and hygiene progress through monitoring visits. In addition, we will offer follow-up assistance and refresher training to ensure community members follow through in building their new facilities and developing new habits.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our partners, and the community members themselves. When an issue arises concerning the rain tank, the students and teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We have an ongoing commitment to walk with each community, cooperatively problem-solving when they face water challenges of any kind: with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. With all these components together, we strive to ensure enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.

With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In our target areas, we’re working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!

Thank you for making all of this possible!




May, 2022: Kyamaiso Community Borehole Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Kyamaiso Community drains people’s time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this community through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!




Project Photos


Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


A Year Later: Accessible, Safe Water!

June, 2023

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

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Kyamaiso Community.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kyamaiso Community maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

Samuel N., 15, recalled what life was like in Kyamaiso Community before his community’s well was rehabilitated last year.

Samuel said, "Before, the borehole would break down, and it takes a period of time before repairing it, and this caused us to walk long distances to collect water."

But life is less challenging for Samuel and the other community members in Kyamaiso now.

"Getting water from this water point has made [it] easier since we no longer waste a lot of time moving to other sources to collect water as compared to before," Samuel continued.

Having ready access to water from the borehole well has made a difference for Samuel, allowing him to practice safer hygiene habits. Having the ability to practice good hygiene not only keeps Samuel and his family healthier but also prevents Samuel from missing school due to illness.

Samuel said, "I have managed to improve on my sanitation situation and supported my father with his poultry business which has helped to raise funds for my [school] fees."

Thank you for helping Samuel access clean water so he can spend time helping his family in their business, which makes it possible for them to afford his school fees.

Right now, there are others just like him in neighboring communities that desperately need safe water access. Your support will immediately go to work to provide a clean water project - and we can’t wait to introduce you to the next person you’ll help.

Samuel at the well

 

 


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kyamaiso Community maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Kyamaiso Community – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.


Contributors

Project Sponsor - StossWater
TGB Caring with Crypto