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 Kyankulu Village in Uganda:
Background:
Kyankulu village is located in Kyankende parish, Kiryandongo sub county, Kiryandongo District. This village is characterized by small farms where residents practice subsistence farming. Whereas this village is endowed with fertile soil, it lacks clean water. Folks from this village collect water from open sources which are contaminated due to poor latrine coverage and it is said to be one of the leading causes of sicknesses in the village.
Pascal Anatol 45 years old and a father of five children who migrated to this village 20 years ago in search of bigger land for farming says that the biggest problem of the village is access to clean water. He informed us that residents of the village collect water from an open pond in the valley which they share with wild animals. The community also lack latrines and the general sanitation in this village is poor.
After learning about The Water Trust through a radio talk show, the community through their village chairman wrote an application letter to us requesting for a shallow hand dug well. In his letter, he confirms that the community has already mobilized and is aware of the obligations towards the village partnership with TWT which include: 2000 bricks, one trip of hard core, one trip of sand, community volunteers to work with the technician whom will be hosted by the community with shelter and food during the construction process.
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:
October 10, 2014
Benya the technician was delivered to site at the beginning of the week and excavation activities kicked off immediately. The soil texture is stable and participation is good as the excavation team managed to reach the water table at 13 ft. Materials such as sand, hardcore and bricks will need to be delivered early next week before work can continue.
October 17, 2014
This week the community volunteers and Benya the technician have managed to excavate the well to 17ft and achieving a water column of 4ft. The community contribution of bricks, sand and hardcore aggregate was also delivered on site this week.
October 24, 2014
Community participation remains high this week as Benya and the team excavated another foot reaching 18 ft and increasing the water column to 5ft. The bricking up process has begun and by the end of the week they had reached the water zone. The community volunteers also worked on crushing the hardcore into aggregate which will be used to cast the slab and pump base.
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.
