Rehabilitation Project
In Kyabakooto, the only protected water source for miles is always overcrowded, no matter what time of day community members try to access it. And with 490 people just in this village, this isn't all that surprising.
To get there, people must traverse a highly trafficked road for about three kilometers (1.86 miles), which always makes parents worry when they send children to fetch water and takes at least one to two hours. Most of the people we interviewed said they leave to access the borehole well at 6 a.m. and don't return home until 9 a.m., which eats up the best times to be working their farms before the sun gets too high.
And even after the long journey to get there, some kids still return to their parents with empty, or even broken, jerrycans because of the crowds waiting for water.
"We move a very long distance of about two kilometers (1.24 miles) to access water," said nine-year-old Emmanuel K (pictured above at the borehole well). "Being a child, this puts our lives at risk and also affects our arrival time to school, as we have to fetch water in the morning before going to school, hence affecting our performance because we miss morning lessons.
"Sometimes, we fail to get water because the waterpoint is overcrowded. We are dragged [out of the line] by adults and other energetic kids, hence [we go] home without water. This sometimes makes us sleep without bathing or repeat [wearing] dirty clothes, hence affecting our hygiene."
The head of this community's Self-Help Group told us that water scarcity has caused a lot of conflicts for Kyabakooto's people. He has also received complaints from women who have been harassed by men while waiting for water when their husbands are not around to protect them.
"My kids are young," said 23-year-old businesswoman Hanifah Kyokolera (shown above at the borehole).
"They can't fetch water because the distance is long and the waterpoint is always crowded, so they can be dragged [out of the line] and fail to access water. I walk a very long distance of about two kilometers (1.24 miles) [to fetch water], and the waterpoint is crowded, which means I have to wait for a long [time] to collect water.
"This affects my daily plans and other work. I always serve food to my household members late due to [the] water scarcity. The water scarcity affects my business as well, because whenever I go to collect water, I take a lot of time at the waterpoint. I reach my business late, and this affects my sales."
With all the struggles associated with the borehole well, some people opt for the more convenient option of fetching water from a local dam, which was built to provide cattle with a bathing and drinking spot. However, drinking this water has dire consequences. One man we spoke to had recently missed a week's worth of work due to a "runny stomach" from drinking the dam's water. He lost a good amount of the crops in his farm due to this absence.
Kyabakooto's people need access to a close, reliable water point that will allow them to better complete their daily chores and restore some health and hope to this community.
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.
