Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Uganda WaSH Program

Impact: 400 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2022

Functionality Status:  Low/No Water or Mechanical Breakdown

Last Checkup: 09/12/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

In this hilly area covered with undulating plains, village community members wake up by 6 AM. Men collect water by bicycle or motorcycle due to the long-distance, while women clean around the compound and prepare breakfast by 8 AM. Then the men are off to the gardens for the day, and the women remain at home doing other domestic activities.

The most common livelihood in the community is farming crops of beans, maize, and sugarcane which are sold at a market bordering the neighboring village to earn money. Others have small, petty businesses at the nearby trading centers to boost their household incomes.

"The piped water scheme which was constructed by the government is no longer helping us. Runoff across the road directs itself to the storage reservoir, making the water very contaminated. There have always been frequent breakdowns which made us opt for open water sources and moving to other neighboring villages. How I wish our borehole could be repaired to save us from all these challenges," said Benjamin, a 50-year-old farmer.

The main water source for the community is a borehole that is currently not functional and in need of rehab. There are two alternative water sources people have been accessing since the borehole broke down. An open-source is located about 2km away at the extreme ends of the village, where water is accessed through a scoop hole covered by logs. There are gardens nearby, and during the rainy season, the runoff directs itself into the open-source, making it contaminated and not fit for consumption. Another alternative water source is sporadic, often contaminated, piped water that many can not afford. It is not serving its purpose as it is not reliable, sometimes going months without water.

"The current water situation has made it very difficult for me to go to the well because of the long-distance one has to walk to collect water. Sometimes when I go to the water source with other children, we find snakes in the water, and there is a steep valley which makes it hard for me to access the source. My mother then stopped me from going to the water sources because of the risks encountered. When this borehole is repaired, I will then begin fetching water since it's nearer to home," said 8-year-old Beatrice.

The health consequences of community members accessing these contaminated water sources include serious skin rashes, diarrhea, and typhoid. Hygiene and sanitation in most homes are still major challenges with the community's water scarcity because people prioritize water for cooking and drinking purposes primarily.

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 springs 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

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


March, 2022: Kiryamasasa Well Rehabilitation Complete!

A well rehabilitated in Kiryamasasa, Uganda is already providing community members with clean, safe water! Additionally, we hosted a training where community members worked together to make 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 and enable a healthier life.

Faustin Lukwango, a 54-year-old farmer, expressed how a closer, fully functioning well will impact the community. "The rehabilitation of this borehole comes with great relief since it has helped reduce the expenses of buying fuel for the motorcycles, since we would use them to save time and avoid delays while accessing water from other villages. Besides, this will also reduce the rampant accidents, especially among the children who used to move along the highways to collect water."

Faustin pumping water.

Rehabilitated Borehole Well

We worked with the community to determine the best possible site for this rehabilitation. After meetings and visits throughout the community, together we agreed that this borehole was the best option to work on.

Throughout the construction process, several households volunteered to host the drilling technicians, 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 to once again 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.

Betty pumping water.

Betty M., 12, a primary school student at Bulima Valley Primary School said, "[I] used to move a long distance of more than 2kms to access the water source. Since the borehole is now working well [I] now have relief from the long distances. [I] have enough time to concentrate on  other issues and hope to improve on [my] academics next year when school reopens."

Training

The first training session focused on financial planning. We mobilized the community through a series of meetings that sensitized them on the importance and purpose of saving. This included meetings dedicated to creating a community profile, where participants 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 to form the savings group and discuss the best practices for maintaining and managing it.

Water and Sanitation Committee training.

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 that will provide grants to fellow group members and 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 critical hygiene and sanitation facilities to build. 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.

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 to support the community in their 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!




January, 2022: Kiryamasasa Community Well Rehabilitation Underway!

A severe clean water shortage in the Kiryamasasa community 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!




Project Photos


Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


A Year Later: Water Leads to Income Generation!

July, 2023

A year ago, your generous donation helped Kiryamasasa Community in Uganda access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Brian. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kiryamasasa 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!

Thirty-five-year-old farmer Brian Ayesiga recalled what life was like in Kiryamasasa Community before his community’s well was installed last year.

Brian said, "Before the establishment of this project, getting water was a very big struggle. When the water point was [originally] drilled, maintenance became [a] problem as communities were not willing to regularly collect money for operation and maintenance; hence the well went into a very bad state due to [the lack of] maintenance. It was no longer functional [for a] long period [of time]; thus, we resorted to [using a] well in [the] next village that is far off. [It was] about 2 km (over a mile) [away]. We would spend a lot of time, about two hours, waiting to draw water due to overcrowding and [the] long queues at the water point."

But life is much more productive for Brian and the other community members in Kiryamasasa now because their well has been rehabilitated and can be relied upon.

"After [the] rehabilitation of this borehole, it is very easy to collect water. It is near, [there is] no overcrowding and so the queuing time is less. [The] Water Committee was elected through community engagement meetings, and a Self Help Group was also formed, which has supported us greatly in maintaining the water source. We have a natural leader who keeps following up with each household to maintain sanitation and hygiene," said Brian.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Brian, allowing him and other community members to implement better hygiene practices.

"Currently, there are general cleanliness and personal hygiene improvements hence reducing the risks of contracting WASH-related diseases," said Brian.

Thank you for helping Brian access clean water, which has also provided other improvements.

"I resumed my poultry business since access to water is now easy [to retrieve]. I had the chicken business before, but due to water challenges, I stopped. With the availability of water, I resumed the business, where I am able to earn a living. I also joined the savings group, where I am able to save and even borrow money. Now paying my children's school fees is not a problem," concluded Brian.

Right now, there are others just like him in neighboring communities that desperately need safe water access. Your support will immediately go to work to provide a clean water project - and we can’t wait to introduce you to the next person you’ll help.

Brian standing near the well.


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 Kiryamasasa 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 Kiryamasasa 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.


Contributors

3 individual donor(s)