Rehabilitation Project
The 300 members of the Balyeijukira Community have access to a well, but it is not near their homes. They must visit a nearby community, and every trip to collect water takes them an extraordinary amount of time—an hour and a half—which makes it impossible to collect enough water to meet their daily needs. The waterpoint is overcrowded and, at times, runs dry from overuse.
Community members need water for most of their daily tasks.
Eleven-year-old Ryan wastes two hours a day collecting water. As a child, he is responsible for collecting water daily for his family, but it should not consume his entire day. When it does, it makes it impossible for him to attend school and enjoy the simple joys of childhood, like playing with his friends.
"The distance and long queue make fetching water a time-consuming process. I feel distressed due to the distance and the worry of encountering a long queue," said Ryan.
Ryan at the faraway well.
But getting to the faraway well is not Ryan's only challenge. He is young and often gets overlooked because everyone is anxious to collect water as quickly as possible so they can return to their important daily tasks.
We asked Ryan about his experience collecting water and if anyone had ever been unkind to him while collecting water. He said, "Yes, someone from the line pushed me. Especially when elders see me and other young children in the queue, they simply push ahead without waiting."
Like everyone else gathering for water, Ryan wants to quickly fill his container and return home to continue with his day, such as attending school.
When we asked Ryan if fetching water impacted his learning time, he said, "Yes, because I often spend a lot of time fetching water that could be used for reading my books. Sometimes, I end up staying up late due to delays at the waterpoint."
If Ryan had access to clean, reliable water near his home, he could attend school and work towards building a brighter future.
Community members waiting at the faraway well.
Steps Toward a Solution
Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. They decided to drill a borehole well, construct a platform for the well, and attach a hand pump.
Well
Abundant water often lies just beneath our feet. Aquifers—natural underground rivers—flow through layers of sediment and rock, offering a constant supply of safe water. A borehole well is drilled deep into the earth to access this naturally filtered and protected water. We penetrate meters, sometimes even hundreds of meters, of soil, silt, rock, and more to reach the water underground. Once found, we construct a platform for the well and attach a hand pump. The community gains a safe, enclosed water source capable of providing approximately five gallons of water per minute. Learn more here!
Community Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each community's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point. Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community. Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee representative of the community's diverse members assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, often gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.
A Community-Wide Approach
In Uganda, we use a Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, which involves several meetings where community members evaluate their own hygiene and sanitation practices to encourage lasting change. During these sessions, natural leaders emerge, motivating the community to recognize and change unhealthy behaviors that affect everyone.
Communities then commit to ending open defecation before we install the water project. Every household builds and uses a latrine to prevent disease and improve hygiene and sanitation alongside their new water source. To support this effort, a Community Development Officer (CDO) is assigned. The CDO encourages each household to set up handwashing stations, animal pens, garbage pits, and dish-drying racks. These additions are crucial in preventing the spread of common diseases.
