Rehabilitation Project
Our implementing partner reports...
When the team arrived, community members were forced to use an open, contaminated borehole as their primary source of water and because of this, residents were suffering from typhoid and malaria. The team talked with several community children who stated, "We will only be able to use this water occasionally because the adults push us away to pump water. We are too small to fight them, so we have to use the stagnant borehole." The team promised to talk with the predominantly Muslim community about sharing water with the children, that the water provided by LWI was for everyone and would be sufficient to support the entire community's water needs. During the team's stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of four men and six women who assisted the team with basic labor at the drill site, provided food for the LWI Uganda staff, worked in conjunction with the LWI Uganda sustainability coordinator, and will be responsible for maintaining the well. The majority of community members sustain a living by farming and selling their produce at local markets. The nearest school is a primary school, located in the community whose students, teachers and administrative personnel all have access to the new, safe water source.
The LWI Uganda team had an opportunity to meet with forty year old community member and community chairman, Swaib Byamugisha, who stated, "We are so grateful for the borehole. The problem of safe water is now solved because the sources of water we had, were contaminated and not safe for our consumption. But we thank Allah to give us grace to have this water so close to us and safe. We thank you so much LWI and our government leaders whom I believe have worked hard to see this happen."
When the team arrived, community members were practicing the following: children swimming in water used for drinking, animals allowed to move freely throughout the community, community members defecating in water used for drinking and trash disposed of randomly and throughout the community. Because of these unhealthy practices along with the consumption of unsafe drinking water, community members were suffering from typhoid, cough, flue, trachoma, diarrhea and malaria.
The community at Rwengoma acknowledged the team's sharing of God's word during the hygiene education, but still none made a decision to receive Christ as their personal Lord and savior. One chairman, Swaib, a Muslim, said, "You have great knowledge of the God's word and you can share it so well that people can easily understand it.
Everyone here in this training has been challenged." When Swaib was asked what he thought of the message, he said that it was the truth and he believes. During the chronological Bible stories, the team reasoned together with the members and discussed several traditional issues while discussing the attributes of God.
The LWI Uganda team leader stated, "It was interesting listening to members discussing who is Jesus Christ. Some members said Jesus Christ is the son of Mary, others said He is the Holy Spirit and others said He is the son of God. I had some time with youth and shared with them too the word of God. I enjoyed these young ones retelling a story I shared with them and asked them a few questions about the story. Thanks to God who has always enabled me to share His word to His people."
