Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 480 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/20/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

The shortest amount of time it takes for the 480 people in Kyakaitera Community to reach their water point is an hour each way. Depending on how much water people use, they could be spending four hours or more per day just fetching water for their daily routines.

"I always go to collect water twice every day in the mornings and in the evenings," said Gloria, a 12-year-old girl who lives in the community. "However, due to the long distance and the queues at the borehole, there are always several struggles and fights, which force me to delay at the source. At home, my mother [punishes] me and blames me for the delayed domestic activities, like preparing food and washing utensils."

Kyakaitera used to have two borehole wells the community members could use, but one has recently broken down. So those who once used the old well now have no choice but to journey across town, through seemingly endless fields of beans, maize, and sugarcane, and then back again...twice per day.

Magaret Nanyonjo, a 60-year-old farmer, explained: "In this village, if you don't have a bicycle, collecting water is a major challenge. [Due to] the fact that I don't have one, I have to walk, and it takes me about 2 hours to get water. At the well, there is always a lot of congestion. [I] am pushed, and I really feel disturbed each time [I] am at the water point. No one cares about how I feel."

It's no wonder the community members have resorted to digging their own holes in the nearby ground from which to collect water. But that means they have no idea how safe the water they're using is.

Children and adults alike suffer from diarrhea, scabies, and other skin diseases. The community members - especially the women and girls, whose days start at 5am and don't end until 10pm or later - are exhausted.

"We don't have time to rest," said Amina Asaba, a local. "We prepare supper, bathe the children, and wash the utensils (dishes) while the men head out to the trading centers to rest and meet friends. Supper is served by 9:00 pm, after which we go to bed."

"I am kindly requesting [The Water Project] to provide this catchment a water source to save us from all these challenges," Magaret concluded.

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

New Borehole

This new borehole is an exciting opportunity for this community! We work with the community to determine the best possible sites for this well.

We conducted a hydrogeological survey and the results indicated the water table is an ideal candidate for a borehole well. Due to a borehole well's unique ability to tap into a safe, year-round water column, it will be poised to serve all of the water needs for this community, even through the dry months.

Community members will help collect the needed construction materials such as sand, rocks, and water for mixing cement. They will also provide housing and meals for the work team, in addition to providing local laborers. We will complement their materials by providing an expert team of artisans and drilling professionals, tools, hardware, and the hand-pump. Once finished, water from the well will then be used by community members for drinking, handwashing, cooking, cleaning, and much more.

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 hand-washing are all possible contaminants of a household water supply. Each participating village must achieve Open Defecation Free status (defined by one latrine per household) prior to the pump installation for this borehole well.

This social program includes the assignment of one Community Development Officer (CDO) to each village. The CDO encourages each household to build an ideal homestead that includes: a latrine, a 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 practices of individual households – particularly the practice of open defecation – are not only unhealthy, but 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 them, and demand that other households do the same.

Improved Sanitation

The aim is that all households own an improved latrine. Many households do not use a latrine 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 is able to live a healthy life free of preventable diseases. We endeavor that at the end of our presence in the community, people will have both access to sustainable, clean water and access to sanitation. We have now organized families to form digging groups for latrine construction, and empowered them with tools to use.

Project Updates


June, 2022: Kyakaitera Community Borehole Well Complete!

A new borehole well drilled in Kyakaitera Community, 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.

Community members celebrate water.

We spoke to Mary Katusabe, a 50-year-old housewife who said with the new well, she is saved from traveling an hour and waiting in long queues as she did previously to access water.

Mary takes water home.

"I no longer get tired. Any time I want water, I can easily access it. I had gotten chest pain because of carrying jerrycans for a long-distance, [but] now [I'm] able to do other domestic work like washing clothes, cooking food, and serving it on time," said Mary.

She has a piggery project and plans to expand it because she is able to feed her pigs well and ensure they are given plenty of drinking water to enable them to grow so this project can empower her economically.

New Borehole

We worked with the community to determine the best possible site to drill this new well. We confirmed the site's eligibility by conducting a hydrogeological survey, which proves that the water table belowground is at a sustainable level before drilling begins.

Several households volunteered to host our team of drilling technicians, giving them a place to sleep and food to eat throughout their work. Many community members also came to the work site each day to watch the drilling and see the well come to life.

Drilling.

When it came time to build the cement well pad, community members found fine sand and water to mix the cement. After the cement platform dried, we installed a stainless steel Consallen pump, which is now flowing with clean, safe water!

Installing the pump.

"[Now] I will take little time to collect water and this will enable me to do my homework on time hence improving my performance at school," said Vas, age 10.

Vas.

Vas plans to reach school early because she will no longer spend a lot of time in the morning collecting water since the borehole is near her home. This will mean her teachers will not punish her for reaching school late and she believes this will also help her improve her academic performance.

Vas pumps water.

She concluded, "Access to safe water will help me wash my clothes, bathe and have meals on time hence improving my health."

Training

The self-help group associated with the project was set up and began training in advance of selecting this project.

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.

Participants learning. This is a representative photo from a similar Self-Help Group training in Uganda.

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.

Participant engagement is key. This is a representative photo from a similar Self-Help Group training in Uganda.

Additional training sessions will happen in the near future focused on hygiene and sanitation at the personal, household, community, and environmental levels. In collaboration with the community facilitator and local leaders, we will train 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 will lead 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 well, the group members 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: Kyakaitera Community Borehole Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Kyakaitera 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!




May, 2022: Kyakaitera Community Borehole Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Kyakaitera 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: "I can fetch water at anytime!"

November, 2023

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

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Kyakaitera Community 2.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kyakaitera Community 2 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!

Godfrey K., 14, recalled what life was like in the Kyakaitera Community before his community's well was installed last year.

"We used to face [the] challenge of long distances. We would use bicycles to collect water and sometimes even get [in] accidents. We would ride on busy roads used by sugarcane trucks, [and] this would put our lives at risk," said Godfrey.

"It was quite challenging on my side because, in my home, only boys fetched water since the waterpoint was far [away], and we had to ride bicycles. I would always go to bed tired and wake up in the morning fatigued, yet I had to be at school on time," Godfrey said.

Now, collecting water is much simpler for Godfrey and his family.

"I can fetch water at any time; even when I need drinking water, I can just get a cup and draw from the waterpoint. I save a lot of time because I no longer move long distances, so I have enough time to commit to my school activities," continued Godfrey.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Godfrey, allowing him to share the responsibility of collecting water with others in his family.

"The pressure of looking for water [is] reduced, and we always have adequate water. It is no longer boys alone [sent] to fetch water [for] their homes; even my sisters go fetch since the waterpoint is near. There has been a lot of improvement in our way of living because we eat food on time, [are] able to wash clothes and bathe every day, hence improved sanitation and hygiene," concluded Godfrey.


Right now, there are others 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.


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 Kyakaitera Community 2 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 Kyakaitera Community 2 – 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

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1 individual donor(s)