Rehabilitation Project
A recent campaign in Uganda has helped provide clean water for schools throughout the Ruhaama district - an area like many others in Uganda where children can't go to school because of the time they spend collecting water or because they fall ill from drinking the water they fetch from contaminated sources. Thanks to the support of The Water Project donors, ten wells have been completed to date.
Our Program Director was in Uganda for the opening of the well. He caught the first water flowing on video, shown here unedited.
When the team arrived, community members and students were dependent on a spring located 2.5 kilometers away from the community, to meet all of their water needs. Because of this, residents were suffering from typhoid and malaria. The team was pleased to learn of the community’s use of a latrine system as this will help prevent further spread of disease in the area. During the team’s stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of seven men and two women who assisted the team with the water project and who are responsible for sustaining a community driven maintenance and management plan. Most community members survive by farming and the nearest school is a primary school located in the community.
The team had an opportunity to meet with thirty-five year old community member and deputy head teacher, Willy Komugisha, who stated, 'I think one of the worst problems you have solved for our school is the truancy of the pupils. The pupils used to go to fetch water and they wasted a lot of time at the well and some would not come back they just escaped from the school. This was a big problem for us and the parents. Secondly this bore hole will create a channel between the school and the community, because we have to work together to see that we look after our borehole. Thank you.'
The LWI Uganda team shared an introductory hygiene lesson with community members and students. Most of them had no knowledge of disease transmission, clean and unclean water, keeping water clean and nutrition. Nyakakongi community had the following common diseases; malaria, cough and flu, diarrhea and ring worms. Most people are involved in the following unhealthy practices; All the pupils confessed that they drink un-boiled water and some prefer mixing boiled water to un-boiled for drinking. Animals drink from the same water source where people draw water for domestic use. The pupils defecate in areas around the water source where people fetch water. Animals are left to loiter anywhere they want to go. On the second day the LWI Uganda team trained hand washing and the pupils enjoyed the lesson as we taught the different parts of the hands that they were supposed to wash.
This community had only one water source – a protected spring. This protected spring brings out very little water. This water source is shared by both the community members and the school. This means that the well is being used by 670 people and yet it flows out very little water. According to Ahibisibwe John Bosco, the head teacher of the school, during school days and at lunch hour, the community members have to allow the pupils to use the water first. During the need assessment, the women I found at the well said if the borehole could be constructed immediately it would save them from the trouble with water and with pupils."
We're so thankful to the supporters of The Water Project for making this well possible. It will do a great good!
