Rehabilitation Project
The report below from our partner in the field gives some great information on the construction of a new hand-dug well in the Mombi community in Uganda:
Background:
Mombi is a densely populated village with an estimated 1020 households, located in Kyankende parish, Kiryandongo sub county, Kiryandongo District. According to Mr. Okello Aludo 55 years who migrated from Jinja district to this village in search for farm land says that he stopped collecting water from the protected springs in the village as he used to suffer from typhoid until when he decided to be collecting drinking water from a borehole in the neighboring village three kilometers away.
Mr. Ochana Adimar the village chairman wrote a letter to The Water Trust requesting for a water source to enable this community access clean water. He was concerned that with the population growth of the village, the emerging issues of waterborne diseases could begin to overtake the village. He noted that the community is ready to host the technician that would be sent to construct the well and that the community has already mobilized locally available materials such as the 2000 bricks, one trip of hard core and one trip of sand.
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
June 13, 2014
The community was ready to begin the excavation process with Richard the technician before the owner of the land raised concerns about the well on his land prompting the community to re-site to a new location and kick off the excavation process. Presently excavation work is 8ft deep.
June 20, 2014
Richard and the community volunteers worked steadily this week on the excavation process before hitting solid bedrock formation at 14 ft resulting in the need to re site to yet another location. A community meeting was held to explain the need to shift once again and the community remains positive identifying a third location and beginning the process afresh. Soil formation on this third location is hard and work continues at a much slower pace. Community spirit remains positive.
June 30, 2014
This week the community worked tirelessly with Richard excavating the well to an impressive 27 ft. Towards the end of the week, Maurice the TWT assistant technical supervisor reported that the well had started to collapse and so we delivered 4 concrete rings to stabilize the walls. We continue to closely monitor the situation.
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 at critical times are all possible contaminates to the water supply at the household level. 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.
The Water Trust’s social program includes the assignment of one Community Development Officer (CDO) per village. The CDO encourages each household to build an ideal homestead that includes: a latrine with hand-washing facility, a rubbish pit, separate structure for animals and drying rack for dishes.
Community Led Total Sanitation
The Water Trust 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 behaviors 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.
