When we arrived in Wairasa the contractors had completed the drilling of both wells and were preparing to pour the concrete and install the pipes. Since these rural areas have no hotels or convenience stores, it is customary for the villagers to serve as hosts for the workers. The drillers, Tom and Zeke slept at the site during construction and the locals provided them with food and anything else they needed until we arrived.
It was an exciting moment when we walked down the dirt road and saw the children pumping water from the first well. Within an hour we were standing at the site surrounded by 50 men, women and children who were dancing and singing a Lugandan song that translated into, “thank you for the water.” It was overwhelming. The next day, the drillers began pouring the concrete and installing the pipes. We named the first well Kirabo, which is Lugandan for Gift and the second one Kwagala, which means Love.
Next a local water committee was formed. This group is trained in the operation and maintenance of the well and their job is to handle the upkeep from this point forward. Their first duty was to build a fence around each well. Drop In The Bucket provided the group with the money for the nails but the labor and other materials are provided by the locals. This step represented the official hand-off of the well to the community.
Projections and the need for Hygiene…
On day two we met with the Mayuge District Water Office to officially inform them that we were working in the area. This step is simply a courtesy, as we are not legally required to interact with them on any level. In Africa we are considered an NGO (Non-Government Organization) and any work we do is completely separate from governmental jurisdiction. We received a warm reception from the department and spent two hours discussing various issues with the director and several other officials.
One topic we discussed is the need for hygiene education. As clean water is a completely foreign concept to most of these villages, providing the water source is just the first step toward addressing the health crisis. We will also be working closely with the local water committees, district water offices, and other NGOs that specialize in water-related issues to provide the villages with as much information and education as possible on the importance of washing hands and basic sanitation.
We will also be continuing to communicate with the local water office, which has offered to monitor the health of these villages and track any major changes that could be the result of drinking the clean water.
They provided us with a list of five other villages within the area, which have applied for and are in dire need of a water source.
We are considering these villages as potential future projects. In the meantime we are focussing our attention on areas with either a severe health crisis such as the typhoid outbreak in Maizimasa or schools such as Mudodo and Mbale which have a total of 3000 students and no water or sanitation.
