During the past few years, hundreds of thousands of persons who had been uprooted by a two-decade old civil war have returned to their homes in Northern Uganda. Of the myriad challenges facing this population, perhaps the two most serious are the absence of clean drinking water and the decimation of the forest.
Lacking access to any protected water source, approximately 60% of the population of Northern Uganda is forced to drink from stagnant pools exposing themselves to water-borne diseases that claim the lives of more than 22,000 Ugandan children every year.
Lifeline has addressed this problem by constructing 208 fresh water wells, which are filling the clean water needs of some 130,000 individuals at a cost of about $7.00 per person.
Since 1990, Uganda has lost almost one-third of its forest cover. Literally half of this loss is attributable to cooking on an open fire – a method that is hazardous to human health and that retards living standards.
To address these problems, Lifeline has been stimulating a market for a commercial version of its stove (the Okelo Kuc), which is attracting thousands of customers and which offers the potential to create a revolutionary change in cooking habits throughout the region. In the process, Lifeline is building capacity by creating manufacturing jobs and market opportunities for female entrepreneurs.
Latest Update from Uganda’s WASH Program
ILF’s Clean Water Initiative in Uganda – 2010 Update
Boreholes: 63 new wells in 63 villages
Latrines: 1500 in households throughout 63 villages
Number of People Impacted: 36,448
Budget: $22,665
Average Cost per Person: $7, including latrine construction and sanitation training
Partner: charity: water
In 2009 ILF began a major clean water project in Uganda, co-funded by Charity Water. Our goal was two-fold: cleaner and closer water sources and an improvement in sanitation and hygiene awareness.
ILF targeted 60 villages in the Lira district. The majority of the former water sources were unprotected springs and swamps. As a result there was significant contamination in the water: for example rubbish and animal feces were found near or in the water sources. Frequently, villagers had to walk hours at a time to access water that wasn’t even clean.
Over the course of 12 months, ILF drilled 63 boreholes for clean water wells. The total time that villagers spend collecting water (walking in both directions, waiting on line, and pumping the water) is now 15-45 minutes – compared to up to 6 hours in some villages before the wells were dug.
In addition to securing access to clean water, ILF seeks to maximize the benefits of clean water by improving sanitation and hygiene. ILF established a sanitation program designed to reinforce safe water use, promote proper maintenance of the new water sources and improve knowledge and attitudes towards hygiene and sanitation. ILF has trained Water User Committees and Village Health Teams in each village to act as focal points for learning about public health. Their activities include mobilization and sensitization of communities in key principles of sanitation and hygiene, as well as follow-up monitoring on the impact of the wells and the progress in public health improvement.
In partnership with the sanitation teams, ILF also worked to provide tools to support the establishment of latrines and hand washing facilities.
For more information, photos, and exact locations of the 63 boreholes: