GAKOMA II, RWANDA
FUNDED MAY 4, 2022
The community families are suffering from waterborne illnesses such as typhoid, diarrhea, cholera and parasites. Women and children are walking 3 miles to find water and it is contaminated. This puts them at risk of being attacked, especially when going alone.
Many families spend what little resources they earn on medications to treat parasites and waterborne illnesses continuing the cycle of poverty. It’s difficult to find and maintain work when you are not healthy. Students struggle to focus when their bellies are full of parasites, or they are weak and dehydrated due to constant diarrhea.
THE CURRENT WATER SOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY
A young girl gathers muddy water from the river, to carry back on foot.
Below are the technical plans and tank drawing for the proposed water storage system. Living Water International will provide training and backstopping support to local water user committees and local government structures. Water users will pay small monthly water user fees by household and these funds will be collected and managed by the water user committee for future repairs and maintenance of the system.
COMPLETED NOVEMBER 3, 2022
The water crisis was a constant source of hardship for those who lived in Gakoma II, a farming community in Eastern Rwanda. The residents didn’t have a safe water well, so they created a dammed pond so they could collect water for drinking, cooking, hygiene, and to water their cattle. But the pond was three miles away, and water collection was a time-consuming, laborious task. Moreover, the water was teeming with dangerous bacteria and pathogens. Many residents resorted to purchasing water from vendors, but this was a costly and unsustainable solution. And buying water didn’t guarantee its safety; oftentimes this water was just as contaminated as the pond water the residents tried to avoid.
These water-related illnesses made it difficult for the community members to work, care for their families and homes and cattle, and, in the case of the community’s children, attend school. The water crisis was creating socio-economic instability in Gakoma II, making it difficult for residents to move beyond reaction-based patterns of living.
This pond is three miles from the community, and the
water is contaminated, making it unsafe for drinking.
The community now has a deep well with a solar-powered pump which
moves the water into a storage tank, which then allows water to flow to
the two tap stands and watering trough for cattle.
Munyaneza James is a 53-year-old member of the Gakoma II community. Not having water created many issues in the community, and he and the other residents spent a lot of time and money trying to obtain one of life’s most basic needs.
“The community didn’t have a water source, so we were forced to travel almost three miles [to the pond] for water. The lack of water in the community was a big problem, and we used to spend a lot of money to get [safe] water.”
| Construction Details | |
| Pump type: | solar submersible |
| Project type: | new complex piped system |
| Depth of well: | 90 m |
| Coliform bacteria: | absent |
| Community Details | |
| Previous water source: | pond |
| Location: | rural community |
| Total users: | 2,413 |
| Main Water Collectors: | women and children |
The residents knew they had found the help they needed when they heard of Living Water International’s work in the region. Living Water Uganda responded to the community’s great need by drilling a new well in Gakoma II. The staff drilled 90 meters to access a safe water aquifer, installed a solar-powered submersible pump, a water tank, two tap stands, and a watering trough in the community.
The Living Water staff also helped the Gakoma II community establish sustainability practices to help ensure a future of safe water access, guiding them in the selection of a water committee, which will oversee the care and maintenance of the water point. The
committee will stay in contact with Living Water, which will support sustainability efforts and monitor the well’s functionality.
The Living Water team facilitated a hygiene and sanitation promotion activity in order to help residents understand how they could use their new safe water to better their health. These interactive sessions included lessons on proper handwashing technique, good oral
hygiene, and how to safely transport and store water.
The new water system has a watering trough for the community’s cattle.
Gakoma II now has safe water in abundance!
Living Water Uganda presented the message of the gospel to the community by sharing the story of John 4, where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well. The evangelist explained that the Lord offers living water to all and encouraged the community members to make decisions to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Even as you met the physical needs of this community, your gift was instrumental in meeting their spiritual needs.
Munyaneza knows that having a safe water source will change everything for those living in Gakoma II. He said, “This new water source will boost hygiene and sanitation in the community.”
Hope and health have been restored through your gift. The Gakoma II residents can now envision a future that isn’t marred by thirst or need. Because of you, they no longer have to wonder if they will have enough water for each day or suffer the effects of drinking unsafe water.
Thank you for giving water, for life, in Jesus’ name!
Your Impact
Ingomar Living Water, thank you for giving this community safe water! Your gift has been instrumental in helping the Gakoma II residents escape a physically and psychologically taxing situation. Because of you, the residents no longer have to worry about their health or spend most of their paychecks on one of life’s most basic necessities. With the gift of this water point, you have lifted a heavy burden; now the community members can focus on providing for their families and other meaningful pursuits. Sustaining their new well has instilled hope and confidence in the community. Your gift also serves as a reminder of God’s great love for each person in Gakoma II, evidence that he cares both for their physical and spiritual needs.
All projects are made possible by World Changers.