Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 400 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Feb 2023

Functionality Status:  Low/No Water or Mechanical Breakdown

Last Checkup: 03/13/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

The current two water points in Kyakaki cannot keep up with its large population of well over 1000 people. They are overcrowded, constantly breaking down, and maintenance expenses have risen because of the increased pressure on the water points.

The 400 people that live near the Kyakaki Trading Centre are exhausted from walking long distances and tired of wasting valuable time and energy that they could use on other productive tasks. They need a well near them to increase their livelihoods and give attention to other essential things.


Rosemary Aganyira ( carrying water in the photo above), 32, explains, "The village has two functional water points, and they are very far. There is a lot of suffering as far as access to clean and safe drinking water is concerned. A lot of productive time is wasted in collecting water. I walk a distance of about 2Kms (1.25 miles), spending two to three hours to get water home. This makes me sometimes use the available water sparingly. We urgently need more water points in this village."

Kingston A., 11, carrying water in the photo below, collects water for his family. He said, "There is always a very long line at the water point due to many people since most people in the village converge here to get drinking water. It is also very far away and [I] move a distance of 1.5kms (nearly a mile). I spend a lot of time on the way and even at the water point waiting for the long queues which makes me [to] delay at the water point."

This proposed solution will help relieve the community from walking long distances, overcrowded water points, and wasting time. And community members like Rosemary and Kingston can be relieved of the physical burden of carrying water long distances.

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


February, 2023: Kyakaki Trading Center Borehole Well Complete!

A new borehole well drilled in Kyakaki Trading Center 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 happy that that borehole has helped to reduce on the congestion and time wastage which used to [happen with] the existing borehole," said 58-year-old farmer Mary Katusiime. "Our children can now easily access the borehole since it's located along the highway, and their safety is now guaranteed. And, above all, we are able to [drink] clean and safe water as compared to before, and we hope to reduce cases of water-related diseases among our children."

Mary next to the new well.

"After the construction of this water point, I was motivated to join the savings group after seeing its benefits from [other] members," Mary continued. "I plan to make enough savings so that by the end of the cycle, [I will] be able to construct a better house for my family, with support from my husband, and also regularly pay the [water] user fees [so] that I [will] promote the sustainable management of this water point."

"I'm going to always support my mother to collect enough water for drinking, washing my casual clothes, and bathing on time as compared to before, since the distance to the water source has been reduced," said ten-year-old Shanita K.

Shanita at the well.

"The plans that this water point will help me achieve is being one of smartest girls at school," Shanita continued. "I will be collecting water as I head to school in the morning and use it for washing my legs while at school whenever they get dirty, [but] I [will] keep some for drinking 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!

Pump installation in progress.

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!




January, 2023: Kyakaki Trading Center Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Kyakaki Trading Center 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!


Contributors

DuBose Family Foundation
Salesforce.org - Matching Grants
The Harmonist
Target Corporation
Nitya 's Kids Yoga Camp Campaign for Water
Chic Lane Campaign for Clean Water
Grand Coulee Dam SHARP Kids' Campaign for Water
30 individual donor(s)