Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 265 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/12/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

The community of Kitamba, Uganda spends a great deal of their day collecting water, limiting their time for other productive activities. The current water source for the community members requires a nearly two-hour round trip, at least once, sometimes twice a day, to meet daily needs. After the long, tiring journey, individuals arrive at the well to find long lines due to overcrowding, especially in the evening hours.

The different seasons bring their unique challenges. In the rainy season, the water becomes contaminated by runoff entering the catchment area. Access becomes more difficult because the sloping path is slick and challenging to navigate safely. During the dry season, the wait times become even longer since people can not harvest any supplemental rainwater and the well often breaks from overuse.

Jolly Atekaniza (33), a married mother of six, described her challenges daily to ensure her family has water: “There is a lot of suffering as far as access to clean drinking water is concerned. A lot of productive time is wasted in collecting water. I walk a distance of about 2 Kms, spending one to two hours to get water home."

She continued, "Also, whenever it is a dry season and the water point breaks down, most people resort to collecting water from open wells. We indeed need urgent and great assistance on the water in this catchment of Kitamba Kyamuhoro.”

Some in the community are fortunate to have bicycles to help transport water and others are not. Tumusiime H., a 14-year-old pupil of Kitamba Primary School, shared his experience, "I spend a lot of time on the way and even at the water point waiting for the long queue, which takes me about one to two hours to get back home with water. At most times, I normally use a bicycle to collect water, and when the bicycle breaks down, it becomes hard to get water on my head for that long distance."

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: Kitamba Kyamuhuro Community Well Complete!

A new borehole well drilled in Kitamba Kyamuhuro 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.

Excited for water!

"Having easy access to water, I am able to do all  my domestic work like washing clothes, cooking food, [and] cleaning my home well and on time. I used to spend a lot of time looking for water and this would affect my daily work like gardening as I would go to the garden late," said Barbra Nyanjura, age 30.

Barbra pumps water.

Now that Barbra has easier access to water she has other plans. "I plan to start a piggery project since water is easily accessible because this [means I] will be able to mix mortar for making walls for the pig's house. I will be able to prepare feed for the pigs and provide drinking water as well."

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.

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!

A community member collects water.

"Since the borehole is near my home, I am able to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation, able to wash my uniforms and clothes, and bathe as well. This will save me from being beaten by the teachers at school because students who come to school dirty are either sent back home or beaten," said Francis A., age 10.

Francis.

Now, Francis plans to start going to school early because the time that was consumed collecting water has been reduced. He hopes this will help him do his work on time and improve his academic performance.

Francis taking water home.

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: Kitamba Kyamuhuro Community Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in Kitamba Kyamuhuro 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!"

August, 2023

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

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kitamba Kyamuhuro 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!

Housewife Sharon Kasande, 23, recalled what life was like in Kitamba Kyamuhuro Community before her community’s well was installed last year.

"The water point where I used to get water was far, and it would break down frequently because of overpopulation. I would go to the prison borehole, but it was extremely far, like 3kms (1.85 miles). This would make [the] collection of water hectic. I could spend a lot of time and end up preparing meals at home very late. Delaying at the waterpoint also could bring arguments in my home because my husband [and I] would quarrel whenever I delayed at the waterpoint."

But life is much more peaceful for Sharon and the other community members in Kitamba Kyamuhuro Community now.

"The water point is now very near. I can access water at any time. I spend little time looking for water. This water point doesn't break down because it's not crowded, and it's well managed by the community, so we are assured of water availability at all times," said Sharon.

"Putting the water point near has also saved me [my] marriage because I can do my work on time, serve my household food on time, unlike before when my family members would even go without food due to the scarcity of water. The availability of water has helped me improve on our hygiene because I can do the washing [and] house cleaning every day," Sharon continued.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Sharon, allowing her time to improve her relationships and her family's daily lives.

"I started a piggery project after getting the waterpoint, and I plan to expand it. I have water [to be] used for cleaning and feeding them," concluded Sharon.

Thank you for helping Sharon access clean water and dream about projects that will provide more resources for the future.

Right now, there are others just like her 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.

Sharon.


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 Kitamba Kyamuhuro 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 Kitamba Kyamuhuro 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

13 individual donor(s)