Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 520 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Nov 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 09/12/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Every day, the 520 people of Karungu have to walk incredibly long distances, some up to 3 km (1.86 miles), to reach water. They must trek through forests and sugarcane plantations, which are well-known haunts of poisonous snakes, or send their children alone, which presents other dangers.

"My challenge is walking the long distance to collect about three to four jerrycans of water in a day. Rarely do I borrow a neighbor's bicycle to use," said 30-year-old Scovia, shown in the photo above. Tragically, in the photo, she is walking past a defunct well on her way to an open, unprotected surface water source.

Scovia told us that her husband has a drinking problem, which leaves her in an unfortunate situation for multiple reasons. As a mother of four children, time wasted at the water point means she must put less effort into her farm. Therefore, she makes less money and can't provide sufficient or timely meals for her family.

Similarly, 14-year-old Peter (shown in the photo below, fetching water next to Scovia) can't ever seem to get everything done in a day. "I go to school early morning at 6:30 a.m., moving about two km (1.24 miles) away, since I have to be in class by 7:30 a.m. This sometimes forces me to go running because I have to be in class on time to avoid being beaten."

"After school, I arrive home by 5:00 p.m. and rush to collect water as I have to clean my uniforms and do homework," Peter continued. "Because of the long distance I move to the water source, I get very tired and reach home late. Due to lack of power (energy), I fail to do my homework in time, and am always beaten at school."

And after all the effort required to obtain it, the untreated water makes Karungu's people—especially its children—sick. The most common complaints are typhoid, cholera, skin rashes, and malaria.

With a new centrally located borehole well, Scovia and Peter will have more time and energy to accomplish their daily tasks. They and their loved ones will suffer less from water-related illness. With improved health and more time, who knows what they could accomplish?

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


November, 2022: Karungu Community Borehole Well Complete!

A new borehole well drilled in Karungu 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.

"I am very grateful to [you] because I no longer have to walk long distances to collect water, since the distance has reduced," said 39-year-old housewife, Sylvia Kusemerwa. "Safety has improved at the source, especially the safety of our young girls who would be raped, and our bicycles, which would be stolen whenever we stopped in the valley to collect water. This is no more."

Sylvia beside the new well.

"As a community mobilizer and natural leader, I plan to sensitize the community on how to improve on better hygienic practices, since now we have access to enough water," Sylvia continued. "I plan to engage in other economic activities like brick-making and kitchen backyard gardening, where I can raise some small income to boost my economic status."

"I am very excited to have this borehole located closer to my home," said 16-year-old Benedicto B. "I no longer waste a lot of time looking for water and now have enough time to concentrate on my studies, as compared to before. I used to carry heavy jerrycans and walk long distances to access water, but I thank [you] that I now have relief."

Benedicto collecting water.

Benedicto continued: "I plan to begin making bricks during my long vacation so that the money I get will support me during my next level of secondary education, because my parents may not be able to support me with all the necessary scholastic materials."

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!

Pump installation.

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 in-country teams, 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 their local field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. Together, all these components help us strive for 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!




September, 2022: Karungu Community Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in the Karungu 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 am assured of water at any time."

December, 2023

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

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Karungu 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!

Farmer and Chairman of the Water User Committee Edrine Tumusiime, 35, recalled what life was like in the Karungu Community before his community's well was installed last year.

"I used to fetch water from an open water source, but it was very far, about 2 km, and the roads were inaccessible, especially during the rainy season. Sending children there would become hard. I would sleep without bathing sometimes because of the water scarcity," said Edrine.

Collecting water is much simpler and more efficient for Edrine and the other community members in Karungu now.

"The water point is very near my home. I am assured of water at any time. I don't need to move a long distance like before. My activities, especially gardening, have improved and increased production because I have water available. Even in the dry season, I can do watering," said Edrine.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Edrine, allowing him to practice better hygiene and set new goals for the future, such as bricklaying.

"I no longer sleep without bathing because water is available at all times," concluded Edrine.

Edrine uses a handwashing station filled with water from the well.

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 Karungu 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 Karungu 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

Project Sponsor - TGB Caring with Crypto