Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 350 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 09/12/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

The 350 people of Isagara Kiryanseka live three kilometers (approximately 1.86 miles) away from the nearest water source. Although the journey to the water source is downhill, this means that the worst part of the trip - the portion where community members are hauling heavy jerrycans full of water - is all uphill.

Beatrice Tomanya (45) described how the water crisis impacts the daily schedule of the community members. "When one wakes up in the morning, you imagine how you will get water home for the day. It's really a very tiresome experience, considering the long distance."

For people who have motorcycles and bicycles, it's a little bit easier. Sometimes, the community members purchase water from them in an attempt to avoid the long trek.

"Looking at my old age, getting water is really a very big challenge," said 59-year-old Jane Nsimiireki. "[I] am not able to do most of my daily activities in time and end up putting most of them on hold. Whenever I go to the water point to collect water, I feel very tired, with a lot of pain all over my body. This sometimes prompts me to buy water whenever my grandchildren are not around."

But youth doesn't necessarily make water-fetching easier in Isagara Kiryanseka. Innocent, a 12-year-old boy, shared what makes the task so daunting for him: "[I] always get very tired due to the long distance I have to walk to collect water from the well. There is a lot of overcrowding, leading to delays and conflicts at the source. Sometimes [I] am even beaten by my parents, who assume we are playing at the water source."

Though distance is the biggest obstacle for community members here, it isn't the only concern. During the rainy season, the water from the spring becomes dirty and opaque due to runoff, and the surrounding swamp area floods. The community members' only option for water then becomes difficult and unsanitary to use.

However, the community members' hygiene and sanitation are fairly good. With increased access to clean and safe water in this community, there is going to be an improvement in the sanitation and hygiene conditions of the members alongside improved health.

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: Isagara Kiryanseka Borehole Well Complete!

A new borehole well drilled in Isagara Kiryanseka 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.

"Easy access to water helped us improve hygiene at our home because we can mop the house now, wash clothes, dishes, and cook food on time," said 10-year-old Cleophas M. "This water also helps us to feed our pigs. These pigs we can sell and get school fees and other scholastic materials."

Cleophas at the well.

"I plan to keep proper hygiene and sanitation," Cleophas continued. "I will be able to wash my uniforms and go to school clean. This will settle my mind to concentrate on my education, hence improving my performance."

"[This water project] helped us so much, bringing water close," said 48-year-old housewife, Beatrice Kugonza.

Beatrice pumps water.

"We used to walk long distances, almost spending two hours to and from, to collect water. There is no more worry about where to get water from because anytime we need water, we can access it. I am able to do all my domestic work on time, especially cooking food and serving it on time."

Beatrice at the pump.

Beatrice is planning to establish a seed nursery since she lives near the borehole.

"This water will support me in maintaining the nursery bed so that my seedlings don't dry up," Beatrice said. "I will transplant seedlings when they are ready and establish a backyard garden for vegetables at my home."

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.

Drilling underway.

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.

Well pad construction and pumping test.

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!

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.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




April, 2022: Isagara Kiryanseka Community Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Isagara Kiryanseka 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 Access Water at Any Time."

November, 2023

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

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Isagara Kiryanseka 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!

Melissa, 12, recalled what life was like in the Isagara Kiryanseka Community before her community's well was installed last year.

"I used to fetch water from Nyabiroko Spring. The distance was far, and we would cross a busy road, which would put us at a high risk of getting [in] accidents. Sometimes, I would come back from school hungry and did not find food at home because there was no water," said Melissa.

But life is much better for Melissa and the other community members in Isagara Kiryanseka now.

"The waterpoint is now near. I can access water at any time. I currently find food at home whenever I come back from school because my mother can also fetch water when I am at school, being that the waterpoint is near. The pressure of rushing to come back from school to go and look for water has now reduced, so I have time for my school work; hence, it has helped me to improve my performance," said Melissa.

"It has also helped us to improve our sanitation and hygiene. We go to school in clean uniforms, unlike before when we had a shortage of water."

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Melissa, allowing her family the water they need for important daily tasks and freedom for her to focus on her education and create a brighter future.

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 Isagara Kiryanseka 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 Isagara Kiryanseka 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

20 individual donor(s)