Nsamya Nusaff Community

In the center of Nsambya village sits the Nsamya Nusaff II well. It is the only water source for the 480 people who live here representing more than 80 households. Surrounding the well are a church and primary school. The well, however, is currently serving none of them because it is not functional.

There are three other hand-dug wells at the extreme ends of the village, but every one dried up, leaving the community no choice but to abandon them. The only other options for water in the area are an overcrowded protected spring in bad shape, or a highly contaminated and seasonal open water source.

Fred is a young boy living in the community. We asked him how the current water situation affects him personally.

"Before this borehole broke down, my sisters used to help me collect water, but now I have been assigned to collect water for home use because my parents feel sending girls to the spring is very risky, especially during evening hours," he said.

The lack of accessible clean water is negatively impacting the community, said the local council chair of Nsambya village. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating this issue.

"There is still a very big gap in terms of good hygiene and sanitation practices in this area. We have been having a very big challenge, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak, which claimed many lives," he said.

"People in my village are not even able to wash their hands since getting water is a major challenge. The only borehole located within the center of the village is down, which has reduced good hygiene and sanitation practices."

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

Rehabilitated Well

We are going to restore water to the broken-down borehole. Since this water point is located at the center of the village and easily accessible by the majority of people, unlike the spring and open source which are located at the far ends of the village, when this borehole is restored to its original status it will provide the community with easy access to clean and safe water. We will remove the old pump, clear out the well, reinstall a new stainless steel pump, and build a new well pad to protect the water.

Training

This community is still lagging behind in terms of hygiene and sanitation, report our teams. Only 20% of households have latrines. It would be appropriate to promote and sensitize this community on good sanitation and hygiene practices to ensure the health of the community.

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 handwashing are all possible contaminants of a household water supply. Each participating village must achieve Open Defecation Free status (defined by 1 latrine per household) before the pump installation for a shallow hand-dug well.

This social program includes the assignment of 1 Community Development Officer (CDO) to each village. The CDO encourages each household to build an ideal homestead that includes a latrine, handwashing 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 the 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.

Improved Sanitation

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 they will need.

Project Updates

August, 2021: Nsamya Nusaff II Borehole Rehabilitation Complete!

A well rehabilitated in Nsamya Nusaff II, Uganda, provides community members with clean, safe water! Additionally, we hosted a training where community members worked together to craft a development action plan for their area. As a result, families are working to build new sanitation and hygiene facilities, tools, and habits that will help improve their living standards.

Grace Tabu, a local housewife, said, "I am really very excited. The borehole has saved us from the long distance we used to walk to collect water from the spring. Our health and our children's health will improve due to drinking clean water from this borehole. Above all, there are no more worries of our children moving alone amidst the sugar cane plantations.

"This water point is going to boost our household income. I am planning to engage in kitchen backyard gardening during dry seasons now that we have enough water to irrigate our crops."

Rehabilitated Borehole Well

We worked with the community to determine the best possible sites for this rehabilitation as there are a few wells in the area that need serious intervention. After meetings and visits throughout the community, together, we agreed that this borehole was the best option to work on.

Several households volunteered to host the drilling technicians throughout the construction process, giving them a place to sleep and food to eat throughout their stay.

The work team pulled up the old pump, cleared out the well, reinstalled a new stainless steel pump, and built a new well pad once again to seal off the well water from surface-level contaminants.

We conducted a yield test and checked the water’s quality to ensure the well’s ease of access and safety. With great results, we handed over the rehabilitated well to the community. The well is already providing safe, reliable water for the community’s daily use.

When asked how he felt about the new well, Ebiru R., an 11-year-old student, said, "I am very happy that this water point is located nearer to our home. I don't have any fear anymore of moving a long distance looking for water.

"This water point will help me improve my personal hygiene practices like bathing, washing clothes, and washing my hands with soap, especially after using the latrine. Our teachers told us always to wash our hands regularly. Sometimes, the class teacher would scold me when I would attend school with a dirty uniform, but now I can clean my uniform on time."

Training

The first training session focused on financial planning. We mobilized the community through a series of meetings that sensitized them to the importance and purpose of saving. Then there were meetings dedicated to creating a community profile, where participants would map the physical environment and stakeholders in their own community. We also ran a participatory vulnerability capacity assessment exercise. In this session, community members mapped out their shared risks and opportunities, including the water point breaking down.

Next, we scheduled the savings group training date with the community. We planned for a one-day training broken into four major parts: introduction, first saving meeting, first loan meeting, and share.

We worked with the community to establish a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) and a water user committee. The savings group set up a fund to provide small loans to each other and another fund they will use to pay for any repairs to the well if an issue arises. The group also agreed on a social fund to contribute to each meeting to provide grants to fellow group members to help them with funeral expenses or catastrophes such as fire damage. Our teams will provide follow-up training to support putting the savings group into practice while also offering continuous coaching in records management.

Additional training sessions focused on hygiene and sanitation at the personal, household, community, and environmental levels. In collaboration with the community facilitator and local leaders, we trained households on building critical hygiene and sanitation facilities. These include latrines, dish racks, refuse pits, handwashing facilities, and bathing shelters. Our teams monitor these facilities’ construction while helping the community learn how to best use and care for them.

These community members were so excited about the rehabilitation of the borehole. They requested training for proper management of the water point.

Finally, we led an additional training for local artisans to teach them how to fabricate and sell locally used and accepted sanitation products that allow for more hygienic and accessible latrines.

Just as with the financial training, we will continue supporting the community's sanitation and hygiene progress through monitoring visits. In addition, we will offer follow-up assistance and refresher training to ensure community members follow through in building their new facilities and developing new habits.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

June, 2021: Nsamya Nusaff II Well project underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Nsamya Nusaff, Uganda drains people’s time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this community through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!

Nsamya Nusaff Community

Project Status

Community Profile