Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Masindi / Jinga Uganda

Impact: 280 Served

Project Phase:  Decommissioned

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Community Profile

The report below from our partner in the field gives some great information on the construction of a new hand-dug well in the Kiyogoma Aluderebo community in Uganda:

Background:

Kiyogoma Aluderebo is a sub village of Kiyogoma  located a few kilometers from  the Nile river, one of the longest rivers in the world, bordering the western and northern parts of Uganda. Residents of Kiyogoma Aluderebo  engage in commercial farming by the fact that soils here are very fertile. Cassava and maize are the major cash crops grown here with traders collecting every grain from these farmers at the end of every season.

Mr. Daawa Tony, 34 and the father of 6, confirms his decision to  migrate to Kiyogoma was due to the rich and fertile soils of the land. However he also points out that the village is faced with an acute water shortage. "Residents here fetch water from open sources which most times is contaminated and is the leading cause of stomach pain, diarrhea and dysentery among other  related diseases." He further intimated to us that most of the residents have basic sanitation requirements like a latrine, drying rack, bath shelter, and hand washing facilities installed near their latrines but lamented at the fact that there were those whom stubbornly refused to construct and use a latrine and were putting the rest of the community at danger with their preference of openly defecating in the bush outside their homes.

The Water Trust (TWT) will have an intensive program to provide access to clean water and sanitation in this village.  The community will participate in excavating and constructing the water source. In the meantime the aim is that all households own an improved latrine. Many households do not use a latrine but use the bush. Due to the practice of open defecation, faeces are spread all over the village and contaminate open water sources.  Our aim is to ensure that the community is able to live a healthy life, free of preventable waterborne diseases. We strive to work in partnership with the community to access safe clean water and improved sanitation.

Construction Progress:

February 25, 2014

Today Bernard the technician was able to finally begin his work with the community of Kiyogoma Aluderebo after he stepped in to support Bosco who had originally been assigned but had to leave to deal with a family emergency. By the  weekend, Bernard had reported that they were able to excavate at least 8 ft.

March 7, 2014

The excavation continues to prove a little difficult for Bernard and the community have now successfully excavated 12 ft and are slowly working their way through soft soil formation.

March 20, 2014

Progress is quite slow as soil formation is terribly collapsing. Currently the well is 22ft deep and brick work has began. Although the progress is slow, we are stably moving forward steadily and soon the people of Kiyogoma Aluderebo will enjoy clean and safe water.

In addition to the new well, our partner in the field conducts training in sanitation and hygiene, including encouraging and helping the community install latrines which help prevent the spread of disease.

Sanitation and hygiene progress

The main objectives of TWT’s Sanitation and Hygiene Program are the use of latrines and observing proper hygiene practices as 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 contaminates of a household water supply.  TWT leverages this relationship, by requiring each participating village to achieve Open Defecation Free status (defined by one latrine per household), prior to the pump installation for a shallow hand dug well.  Using the immediate gratification of clean water as an impetus, TWT works toward sustainable, interdisciplinary WASH development.

TWT’s social program includes the assignment of one Community Development Officer (CDO) to one village.  The CDO encourages each household to build an ideal homestead that includes: a latrine, hand-washing facility, a separate structure for animals, rubbish pit and drying rack for dishes.

Community Led Total Sanitation

TWT implements the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach with each of our village partners.  TWT facilitates a CLTS session in which we aim 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 current practices of individual households – particularly 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 behavior and are inspired to take action.  Group interactions are frequent motivators for individual households to: build latrines, use the latrines, and demand that other households do the same.

Dan, the CDO in Kiryandongo,  has been assigned to work with the community of Kiyogoma Aluderebo and is in the process of collecting  a baseline for 56 households (280 people) that form the catchment population for the shallow hand dug well.

Project Updates


February, 2024: Project Change in Kiyogoma Aluderebo

Projects, like water itself, are fluid.

Sometimes, there are unique circumstances that can neither be resolved nor reversed that turn a well-loved water point into one that has failed to meet the expectations of both the community it serves and our own commitment to help provide access to safe and reliable water.

Unfortunately, this well is no longer meeting the water needs of the Kiyogoma Aluderebo Community, despite repeated efforts, spent resources, and a lot of patience from the community and our team.

The Water Project, community members, and local leaders have decided together that decommissioning the well was the best course of action. As a result, we will no longer make monitoring visits here. However, we are actively working with this community to identify a different solution.

We will continue to work toward our promise of providing clean, safe, and reliable water to those who need it most.




March, 2014: Kiyogoma Aluderebo Project Underway

We are excited to announce that the community of Kiyogoma Aluderebo, Uganda, will soon have a new source of safe, clean water.  Work has begun to construct a new hand dug shallow well.  In addition to the new well, the community will receive training in sanitation and hygiene to help stop the spread of disease. We just posted a report from our partner in the field including information about the community, GPS coordinates, and pictures.  As the project  continues, we'll keep you posted.  Take a look, and Thank You for your help.




Project Photos


Project Type

Hand-dug wells have been an important source of water throughout human history! Now, we have so many different types of water sources, but hand-dug wells still have their place. Hand dug wells are not as deep as borehole wells, and work best in areas where there is a ready supply of water just under the surface of the ground, such as next to a mature sand dam. Our artisans dig down through the layers of the ground and then line the hole with bricks, stone, or concrete, which prevent contamination and collapse. Then, back up at surface level, we install a well platform and a hand pump so people can draw up the water easily.