KYAKAHUNGY LC1 VILLAGE, UGANDA

FUNDED AUGUST 2, 2023

A local water source

Kyakuhungu LC1 Village is part of the Nyakatete Parish in the Kakumiro District, in Kijangi Subcounty, Uganda.  “LC1” designates Local Council 1, to distinguish this village from others with the same name.  Kyakuhungu is home to 240 households, so roughly 1,200 villagers.

The only water source near this village is an open pond in a swampy area.  The water is used by livestock as well as wild animals from frogs and birds, to snakes and monkeys.  This village has consistent cases of Typhoid, Cholera and Diarrhea.  Most villagers will report
being ill at least once every three months.  And these illnesses linger until medicine can be purchased.  Typhoid often takes weeks to recover from, and each dose of the medication can cost a day’s wage.  So adults suffering from the illness will lose nearly a month’s worth of income per illness, and every child that is ill adds to the economic strife these families face.  They can never save enough to build, or buy;  nearly everything they have will go to keeping their family healthy from the illnesses brought by the water they are drinking.

Pregnant and nursing mothers are the most vulnerable to the bad water, followed closely by young children and the elderly.  You don’t find many villagers in their 60s, 70s or 80s.  They do not live that long, and the waterborne illnesses are part of the reason.   Imagine the cultural impact of losing the wisdom of your elders.

There are other costs of not having access to a clean water well.  Women and girls spend hours in a week carrying water.  Sometimes they must wait in line when they get to the water source.  If wives are late coming back from collecting water, they are likely to be beaten by their husbands for being “lazy.”  Girls will miss school, and the more school they miss, the less likely they are to finish their education. Eldest daughters oftentimes drop out at a very young age for this reason.  Those girls are then married off very young.

CEED’S EXPERIENCE

CEED has been drilling clean water wells in Uganda for over a decade. We have two small drilling rigs and one ‘Big Rig’ that can punch through layers of rock that the smaller rigs cannot. The CEED-Uganda Manager is Herbert Asiimwe. He has been with CEED for almost as long as we have been drilling. He is well known in the area for his expertise. And our drilling teams have an average of over 10 years of experience on drilling rigs.  

CEED Uganda is also a non-profit, all funds go to paying our teams as well as the necessary drilling supplies from concrete, drill steel, hand pumps, etc.

WELL MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS

It is important that the villagers take full ownership of the wells we drill.  If they do not, then wells can fall into disrepair, not for the lack of funds, but because no on in the village will take responsibility to inform us that something is wrong.  To solve this issue CEED requires a Water Committee in each village.  The villagers each contribute a small amount of money to the village water fund.  That fund is then used for any future repairs.  We’ve never turned a village down for a repair if they didn’t have the actual repair cost.  But the very act of
gathering the funds and ‘buying in’ causes the villagers to take ownership of their well and to care for it.  The well space stays weeded and clean;  the pump is treated with care, and the village has water for years to come.

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP

When we drill our wells we bring a solar projector and the ‘Jesus’ film that has been dubbed in the native language of the area. Dozens of villages come to see the film. And since CEED is in the act of providing for their physical needs, this film has a great impact. After all if the Lord sent money from the United States for a clean water well, then He must truly love the people of the village. I have seen churches grow around well sites as villagers gain a practical understanding of how much the Lord cares about them.

PROJECT COSTS AND TIMELINE

Total Project Cost: $5,000

Cost break out:

• Materials:         $3,900
• Labor:                  $650
• Administrative:  $450

Future maintenance:  The villagers collect a penny or two a month from each household to keep for maintenance. This system ensures that the well is fully adopted by the village and cared for.

Other Costs:  If we hit rock, the well will need to be drilled by the big rig. That may cost more, but we will likely match funding from another source.

Funding Requested from ILW:  $5000

Date Funding Required:  As soon as possible

Estimated Project Start Date:  Within 2-3 weeks of funding date

Estimated Project Completion Date: Within 2-3 months of funding date

FUTURE IMPACT

There will be a drop in illnesses right away.  The average drop is 70%.  That’s 70% fewer days spent ill, and 70% less of the village ill at any time.  As those numbers hold, villagers will start to spend their money on investments like new farm tools, new buildings, and tuition for their children. Women will have more time for not only household chores, but they often have more time for sewing, and planting. There will be more food in the homes, and children won’t be malnourished and less susceptible to illnesses.  They will spend more time in school.  The village will grow as families from farther out come in closer to the water.  Churches will start, schools will be established and grow. All because of one clean water well.