Clean Water is on the Way!

April 14, 2018

Clean water is the foundation for good health. How does a child stay hydrated without clean water? How does a mom cook or wash clothes? What good are reusable hygiene kits if the young women have no way to wash them? Why would a person brush his teeth or bathe when his only water is drawn from a distant pond or stream filled with bacteria? Thanks to generous donations from people like you, we are ready to move forward. We have funding for all of Phase One - and probably Phase Two - of a plan to bring pure water into the three villages served by our master team.

Phase One

Rainwater Collection System in Kitsolima II. We proposed earlier to drill a bore hole well in a different village (Kinyante IV), but we found out there is a 5% chance that they won’t hit water there. Those odds are favorable, but we want a 100% probability of success on our first project. Rainwater collection systems are comprised of a 10,000 Liter (2,600 Gallon) polyvinyl tank placed on cement base with a gutter system that is attached to an existing metal roof. These systems will last for 30 years, providing clean water for thousands over their lifespan. With an average of 80 inches of rainfall a year (more than twice the rainfall compared to where we live in Vancouver, Washington), Uganda is an ideal location for rainwater harvesting as a primary source of clean water.

Kitsolima II has two buildings that might work perfectly. Our friends at ugandanwaterproject.com will decide which is better, then they will bring in the equipment and proceed to install the tank, gutters, and cement - giving up to 2,800 people access to clean water. How cool is that?!

Phase Two

Rainwater collection system in Sarakihombya. This village has an extremely unhealthy water problem since the water source is heavily used by wild animals and humans. The animals come from the nearby reserve to bathe, drink, and defecate. Nearly 3,000 humans draw their water from this very same source. It is disgusting.

If their water situation is so dire, why isn’t Sarakihombya our first priority? First, the only way to access the village was on foot or by motorcycle; there was no road. Amazingly, the local government pushed through a road into the village just two weeks ago. Second, we don’t know of an existing building that is large and strong enough to accommodate a rainwater collection system. It looks like we have to build one. We intend to buy a small plot of land, erect a large, strong shelter that will accommodate the rainwater collection system. (Roof, floor, and poles; no walls.) Our master care team can use it when they visit the village for health education and treatment, and the villagers can use it for various purposes at other times. Our contact person at ugandanwaterproject.com will send us the building specs for such a shelter. He estimates that we can construct it for $2,000-3,000. We are champing at the bit to get the specs, secure a bid from a local builder, and move forward with installing a clean water collection system for our friends in Sarakihombya.

Phase Three

Kinyante IV. If we need to drill a well there, we will do so as soon as we have sufficient funds. While we wait for the wheels of progress to turn, Ourganda has placed two small water filtration systems into each of our villages so at least some of the people can drink clean water - after someone has carried it for an hour or two from a distant source.

Let me say again that we deeply appreciate your compassion for our brothers and sisters in Uganda. Together, we are saving and extending lives. We are turning pain and suffering into smiles.

Your gift definitely saves lives.

Thank you! Your friend,