Rehabilitation Project
The only water source for the 475 people of Kimigi Nyabisojo is both far away and often overcrowded. Most people in the community have to walk at least 30 minutes for water, while the farthest homes require a journey of three km (1.86 miles) each way.
"I am the one responsible for collecting water at home," said 17-year-old Rogers K (in the photo to the left). "Sometimes I have to make more than two trips, but I really get very exhausted. This is all because of the distance I have to walk."
And when Rogers finally arrives at the water point, the ordeal doesn't end there. "Being the only water source in this village, most times it's overcrowded, especially in the evenings when the demand is very high," Rogers explained. "There are always some stubborn old boys and some elders who [make] me delay and I end up being [punished] by my parents for delaying at the water source."
And Rogers isn't the only one who rarely finds time to rest. We also spoke with Mary Mbabazi, 24, who described her daily routine for us. She goes to her farm at 6 a.m. and returns home at 10 a.m. to prepare breakfast, clean her family's compound, and eat. Around midday, she starts preparing lunch as she also rushes to the water source to collect some water.
However, she is often delayed at the well by long lines, so when she returns, she frequently finds her food is either burnt or the fire has gone out, leaving the food half-cooked. But she doesn't dare to send her young children along the long, isolated road to the water point.
Mary told us that she hardly gets time to rest. She also worries that her young daughter is always weak. When her daughter was taken to the hospital, Mary was told that her baby was malnourished. Doctors advised her to improve on her hygiene practices and feed her baby regularly. But unless she spends most of her day journeying to the water point or waiting in long queues, doing so is impossible. Mary told us that solving the water challenges she faces will save her children's lives.
As if health and time were not high enough costs already, Kimigi Nyabisojo's water difficulties also cost its residents valuable income.
"The water crisis in this village has highly affected my output both in the gardens (farm) and in my small business," said Specioza Atuhairwe, a 25-year-old farmer and trader (in the righthand photo).
Specioza shared that sometimes fetching water in the mornings takes her so long that she opens her farm shop late. "All my customers shift to the next shops," she explained. "I hardly make any profits. Doing other domestic activities, like washing clothes, is also a very big challenge due to the water crisis in this area."
With a closer, easier-to-access source of water, Rogers, Mary, and Specioza will have so much more time and energy to do the things that really matter. Queues will diminish or disappear, freeing up hours for farming and studying.
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.
