Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 350 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/07/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Most community members wake up at 5am to milk their cows. They then sell the milk and move on to their farms by 7am. Farming is the major economic activity here, most farmers specialize in maize. The women spend time at home doing chores while men take the animals out to graze, after digging on their farms.

The women then go back to the farm to cultivate in the evening when it's cool. The men come back from grazing late and then go to the trading center to socialize and pass time with friends. Everyone retires by 10pm for an early morning again.

These community members are united in all things, whether it be partying or mourning together during funeral events.

Water

The main source of water in this area is an unprotected spring. The water pools deep enough for community members to dunk their containers under the surface. They also suspended logs across the spring to draw water from its deep middle.

This water is entirely open to contamination which comes in many forms. The people who fetch water dirty it with their containers, while animals are free to come and go to use the same source for drinking, bathing and defecating. Surface runoff when it rains washes more contaminants into the water.

There are a constant number of typhoid cases in this community, since this dirty water meets their drinking needs. They also use this water for cooking, cleaning, irrigating crops and watering animals.

"The health of the children is deteriorating because of drinking dirty, contaminated water. This is because not every family boils the drinking water that they use!" Mr. Fred Barungi said.

Sanitation

Less than half of households have a pit latrine. Materials vary depending on the economic status of the family - they can be made of bricks or made of sticks and mud. The latrines we observed are in poor condition; many are about to collapse and pose great danger to their users. Because of this low coverage and the poor conditions of latrines, open defecation is a huge issue in this community. Instead of using a latrine, people prefer to relive themselves in the privacy of bushes.

Here's what we're going to do about it:

Training

The 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 a shallow hand-dug 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, hand-washing facility, a separate structure for animals, rubbish pit and 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 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 the latrines and demand that other households do the same.

Hand-Dug Well

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 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.

Actual well construction will take four to six weeks if there are no challenges. The well will be lined with bricks and sealing clay, and finished with a Consallen pump.


This project is a part of our shared program with The Water Trust. Our team is pleased to provide the reports for this project (formatted and edited for readability) thanks to the hard work of our friends in Uganda.

Project Updates


December, 2018: A Year Later: Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to construct a new well for Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community in Uganda. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories. Read more...




March, 2018: Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community Project Complete

Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community in Uganda has a new source of safe, clean water thanks to your donation. A new well has been dug, and water is flowing. Community members have also received training in sanitation and hygiene, and plan to share what they learned with their families and neighbors.

New Knowledge

We trained the newly-formed water sanitation committee (WSC) at Mrs. Byaruhanga Josephant's home for three full days. Mrs. Byaruhanga was elected to be the group chairperson, and everyone agreed that she lives in a central location that's convenient for meetings.

The entire group was trained, 10 total including Mrs. Byaruhanga, two village health trainers, a local council chair, and one opinion leader. Everyone was respectful and participated well in each activity.

The most important activity of all... Lunch!

Training taught committee members about their different roles. There is a WSC chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer, two well caretakers, and mobilizer.

Training raised awareness on keeping water clean, routes of contamination, hand-washing, hygiene practices, and gender. Lessons also equipped the WSC with the right knowledge to do their job well, including managing finances and keeping records. They are now able to be effective ambassadors of good hygiene, sanitation, and health in their neighborhoods. They even have a community plan to carry out everything they learned.

The trainer demonstrating how to wash your hands.

Since many locals are illiterate, our training facilitator used simple language and many pictures. Participants also formed small groups to discuss the pictures and what practices they illustrated. The sub-county health assistant helped our trainers facilitate discussions about these.

"The training we have received will greatly help us to improve our sanitation, both at the water point and in our homes. This will help reduce the spread of diseases," Mr. Mugume Duncan said.

Hand-Dug Well

We worked together with the community to find the most suitable place for a new well. They'd run sites by our technicians, who would confirm the hydrogeological viability.

The community helped excavate the well with our technician's guidance. We managed to reach 26 feet, and we measured a static water level of 15 feet.

The well was then cased with brick and mortar up to ground level, and then the technician casted the concrete apron to protect the water source.

Once that had cured, the mechanic could install the stainless steel Consallen pump.

Mrs. Byaruhanga Josephant also witnessed the first pumps of clean water coming from the well.

"The water is so clear and tastes good! This makes us think that it is very safe for drinking, and we will be free from diseases!" she exclaimed.

She and the rest of her community will unite through regular meetings about the VSLA (village savings and loan association), that will give families an opportunity to save their money to be used for pump repairs and other development projects.




January, 2018: Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community Project Underway

We are excited to announce that a project to provide clean water for the Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community in Uganda is underway. A new well is being excavated, and the community will attend sessions on sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these resources will go a long way toward stopping the spread of disease in the area. We just posted a report including information about the community, project details, and pictures. We’ll keep you informed as the work continues.




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.


A Year Later: Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community

December, 2018

Josephat says he no longer gets stomachaches ever since he began drinking clean water from the well.

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to construct a new well for Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community in Uganda. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – and we’re excited to share this one from local team member Olive Kamusiime with you.


Before, people here had no safe water point in the village. The only water source was an open place that they shared with animals. It was an unsafe source of water and one that had a lot of competition because it was used by so many people with so many needs. This forced people to travel to neighboring Karungu Village in search of water. That trip would take people more than an hour.

However, with the construction of the hand-dug well, the community now has the water it needs. People now have their own water point and do not have to travel long distances in search of water. In addition the water is easy to fetch, it is no longer a place for animals to drink, and is a safer source of water for community members to drink.

Construction of the well is only one step along the journey toward sustainable access to clean water. The Water Project is committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by donors like you, allows us to maintain our relationships with communities by visiting up to 4 times each year to ensure that the water points are safe and reliable.

This is just one of the many ways that we monitor projects and communicate with you. Additionally, you can always check the functionality status and our project map to see how all of our water points are performing, based on our consistent monitoring data.

One project is just a drop in the bucket towards ending the global water crisis, but the ripple effects of this project are truly astounding. This project in Rwentale-Kyamugenyi, Uganda is changing many lives.

Josephat is 7 years old and attends primary school in nearby Kichandi. He told us that he now drink clean water which is neither brown nor has dirt particles in it.

"This water is clear and safe to drink," he declared.

And he no longer gets stomachaches caused by drinking unsafe water. Josephat is happy about the fact that he does not have to travel long distances to fetch water to use at home since the water point is near his family's house.

This is only possible because of the web of support and trust built between The Water Project, our local teams, the community, and you. We are excited to stay in touch with this community and support their journey with safe water.

Read more about The Water Promise and how you can help.


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Rwentale-Kyamugenyi Community – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.