Clean Water Transforms Communities

The challenge

Original Water Source in Opiat Village

“ I can save lives one by one with my surgery, you save many more by your provision of clean water “ said a Doctor to one of our team on a recent visit.

Going to see one of the new wells is a special experience as the local people will tell you with much joy and celebration what a massive difference it makes to have their water supply clean and in the heart of their village. Some of the many benefits felt in the community after the provision of clean water are:

The significant improvement in health due to the consumption of clean water and the greater availability of water for washing.
The reduction in distance of search for water resulting in a big improvement of life and safety for women and children
Kick-starting of other income improvement projects such as vegetable growing citrus trees and bee keeping.
Communities long term commitment to the wells maintenance and repair.
Endorsement of the quality of the wells by local authority inspections.

The detailed local statistics show that access to safe water is good in parts due to investment by the government and NGOs over the years but 25% of the community ( 300,000 people) is not served with safe water so there is a need for significant further investment notably in the southern and rural parts of Teso.

Well under construction at Amoroto

Constructing a well – lowering the diggers

The story so far

For 25 years now, the trust has worked with our Church partners on a programme of water provision targeted at the rural areas and seeking to get clean water into the more remote areas .

New Well at Kelim

Following discussions and visits to Teso in 2000 the Trust piloted some water schemes. With a hiatus in 2003 – 2004 due to the LRA incursion, since then we have steadily built the programme up and have achieved the provision of 212 projects comprising new and refurbished boreholes, protected springs, water harvesting schemes and hand dug wells and delivering water to about 104,000 people. The overall cost of this has been £290,000. The programme has steadily built momentum as donors have been generous and our partners come forward with projects.

Alissa Borehole.

How do we do it?

Well at Oplai B

The trust does not impose any project on our Teso friends and partners. Each project is planned by one of our partner church development teams working closely with the village pastor, community leaders and people. These identify a site, mobilise the community, undertake hygiene training and set up an action committee to oversee the work. The local authority provide technical support on hydrology and guidance on the best locations and what type of water point will be appropriate. In areas where the water table is high is possible to dig a well, however in drier areas where the water table is much deeper it becomes necessary to have a borehole.

Once this process is done, the Trust will be approached to fund the training and provision of the pump and fittings. The local community provide materials for lining the shaft and concreting in the pump. Once the pump is installed, it is tested and handed over to the local management committee to manage the ongoing care and maintenance. The Church partners monitor the result and assist with any problems. Linked to the training programme in community hygiene, the local people will build a set of latrines with TDT funding the slabs.

The Trust monitors progress and spending through receipt of regular reports from the partners which include photos and schedules of progress. Our funders are supplied with photos of their projects and we have installed plaques of the donor on some. On the Trusts annual visit members seek to visit as many as is feasible, to meet the community and join in the joy of the result! Sometimes when the village community has completed its water source, it continues its joint effort to address other community challenges. Results have been health initiatives and new farming schemes

How do we fund the projects?

A borehole costs £5500, refurbishing a borehole usually costs about £1000, protecting a spring £1200 and a hand dug well is £1500. £250 of this pays for development and training costs. One project typically provides water for 300-400 people.