Project 2018-003

A well supported by a solar pump system and tank will be drilled and placed on the property of Divine Holistic Ministries in Njeru, Uganda. Njeru is the largest town in the Buikwe District in the Central Region of Uganda. Divine Holy Ministries employs a holistic approach in ministering to vulnerable women, children, and youth.

The community is very poor, with the average person living on less than a dollar a day. Farming is the main source of income and there is some small industry. This community has historically relied on rainfall for water. They collect and store rain water in plastic tanks which does not last through the dry seasons and therefore must be rationed. The local source of water is a swamp 3/4 mile away.  Animals drink at the swamp location and the people obviously prefer to eke out their rain water supply to the last drop. The collected rainwater should be boiled (though not everyone does or can boil it) because it is usually not secure and becomes contaminated. Chlorine tablets are used sanitize the collected rain water.

Drilling a well that also includes a solar pump system and tower and tank will maximize the benefit to the ministry and the surrounding community of 700. The ministry will be able to support more livestock and grow more crops, which they can consume or sell. Our funding will also be used to pipe the stored water, via a gravity feed, to access points on the ministry property, including a community access location and a location to draw water for irrigation. This will allow not only clean water for the inhabitants of the community, but water to irrigate crops (which, in turn, will allow for a healthier diet).

This project includes not only the well but a solar pumping system and a water storage tower. Where feasible, adding a solar pumping system and storage mechanism improves the situation even more…..more water for more people, often with water available for crops and livestock. 

Update January 18, 2019

The well has been successfully drilled in Njeru. The water quality is good and has been certified by the government water office, and the well will soon provide clean water. There is much excitement over the well in Njeru and the original estimate of 700 people being positively affected by this clean water source has been raised to 3,000! The increased population which we now think will use this clean water source includes school children from three schools, neighboring communities, and people from local churches.

The next step is to complete the well pump and water storage system.  Originally, the plan contemplated installation of a solar pump system. However, the recovery rate for the output of the borehole has caused our partner, Heaven’s Family, to conclude that an electric pump is a better solution.

The water storage tank has a 10,000-liter capacity (2,641 gallons). The tower will be 16 feet high and the water will flow via gravity feed to the end water points.  With the anticipated demand by the community for this fresh water source, and taking into account the volume and recovery rate of the well, a solar pump (which just pumps during the daytime) will not be as effective as an electric pump that can pump 24 hours a day. The electric pump solution is actually less expensive to put in than the solar pump. The difference in cost will be spent on some plumbing and a pump house built of brick and block ($1200) to protect the electric pump and serve as a water collection point. The pump house is substantially completed and the water storage tower is in concrete (not yet complete).

This project will positively affect so many people…way more than was originally contemplated when this project was proposed. A huge thank you from both Ingomar Living Waters and the people of Njeru Uganda, for being World Changers!