Rehabilitation Project
Nkwenda I community is tucked in a rocky region in Uganda's Kiryandongo District. The rugged area is home to over 250 farmers and tobacco growers who live off the land. People in Nkwenda I live a very simple life, which comes with the territory of living far away from town centers. There is a modest trading center in the community where villagers buy the most basic items like candles, matches, and buckets. Beyond that there is not much, just fields of maize, cassava, and tobacco wedged between stone outcroppings.
The remoteness of the village has meant that people in Nkwenda I have limited access to safe water. Busoga Trust had the opportunity to work in the community in 2010, constructing a shallow hand-dug well. It has been serving the people in Nkwenda I since then, but not every person in the community can use it. Nkwenda I is a spread out village and not everyone can walk the distance to the well. When those people who live far away from the well need water they are left with few options. Most are forced to take water from contaminated open ponds which collect feces swept in by the rain. The water from these "traditional sources" is not safe to drink and causes severe sickness in the community, especially for children. Oryemu James, a resident of Nkwenda I, recalling the water situation in the community before the first Busoga Trust well, remembers outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea that endangered the lives of children in the community. With a particularly high population of children – 22% of the population is less than six years old – it is vitally important that Nkwenda I has greater access to safe water.
Busoga Trust will work with the community to construct a shallow well. Community members will work side by side with a skilled technician who will help them to dig a new water source. The community will also provide materials for the effort, contributing sand, stones, and bricks. With a bit of time and some hard work, we can build a shallow well together and create a source of health for the community. The lives of all in Nkwenda I will be much better and kids in the community will be able to grow and prosper.
Busoga Trust began constructing a second shallow well here in November. Community members worked side by side with a skilled technician who will helped them to dig a new water source. The community also provided materials for the effort, contributing sand, stones, and bricks. We struck the water table at 14 feet and took the well shaft down a total of 21 feet. We installed a pump on the well on December 20. These new wells and our related sanitation and hygiene work in Nkwenda should have a significant impact on health and quality of life for all in this community.
