A day in the life of

Sanitation goes hand in hand with new water sources and to keep up with the demand this women’s group in Kitimba village make up to 20 latrine slabs every day.

Credit: WaterAid / Jim Holmes

Denis Okatch, Assistant co-ordinator, Mpigi District Uganda

"I live in Kampala City and go to work in the Mpigi district, central Uganda, which takes an hour by commuter taxi. I am up every day at 6am and then tune into my favourite radio station, Capital Radio, for the morning news.

I then skip the rope for 15 minutes to exercise, then get back to the radio for the press review where three dailies are reviewed along with the weekly 'hot' paper - The Red Pepper (Uganda's first tabloid according to its Editors).

I say 'hot' because recently there was a public demonstration urging the government to ban it for supposedly corrupting society morals.

The other papers are full of politics and the main discussions revolve around the third term for the president.

Personally I like the president and believe he has done quite well. I then take a shower. My water consumption is quite low, about 25 litres a day, except on weekends when I do some cleaning.

Women have to collect water from any source available, like this muddy pool in the ground in Omidera village.

Credit: WaterAid / Jim Holmes

I have been with WaterAid Uganda since 1998 when I left college. At the start our new local partner organisations needed help developing their technical skills so I was involved in overseeing their construction work.

I mainly carried out site investigations and looked at how to guide communities in selecting an appropriate water source. Now I am working in our district co-ordination office in Mpigi, sharing our implementation experience with the local government and therefore building capacity.

I focus on trying to improve the coordination of those involved in water and sanitation in the district by planning and advocating for good practices, such as community participation and using the appropriate technical designs.

All this is done with the aim of establishing an effective system to deliver services to the poor. Luckily for me WaterAid and the district staff seem to agree on these issues.

On Mondays, before heading off to Mpigi, I go to the WaterAid head office to do my weekly plan with the other staff. Most days though I go straight to Mpigi.

To help in planning the district office needs some reliable data on water and sanitation issues, and after discussing this with the district water officer, I am informed that officials from the line ministry had spent two days in the district and had agreed on the need for a database showing the water sources. This is great news and WaterAid will now help in facilitating the development of this.

Back at my desk, I compile a few outstanding reports. Across my table is Honda, a volunteer from Japan working for the water office, who is also our 'technology' man since he has some digital equipment, laptop and a camera. Honda is more familiar with the local language than he is with English.

I come from the eastern part of the country where they don't speak luganda, the lingua franca in Mpigi district, but I can cope. To help in planning the district office needs some reliable data on water and sanitation.

After tea break, I convene a meeting with the water staff, to discuss a new pilot project at the nearby prison. With our notebooks in hand we get onto the pick-up truck and make a quick field visit to assess the suitability of the site.

The district officer in charge of sanitation looks happy that somebody is targeting the prison at last.  While Honda takes some pictures we discuss the possibility of doing a project on improving sanitation in rural prisons - something that there is a clear need for.

The children from Kanyansohera village are often sick because they have to drink unsafe water from an open well but soon things will change as the community are working together to dig themselves a new well.

Credit: WaterAid / Jim Holmes

Back in the office we finalise our discussions on the design. Loaded with my notes and pictures of the day's field visit, I set off for Kampala to share my findings with staff there. Everything is moving well and in a week's time the construction of the new toilet will start at the prison site. Meanwhile I am going to identify a mason to help with the construction work.

It's 5pm and everybody is set for the weekend. Life outside work is quite hard, as a number of my friends don't have jobs. Sometimes I take them out which helps us to relax. I also like watching football - local and foreign leagues, in the English Premiership Newcastle are my favourite.

On my way home the city is upbeat with the weekend mood. I call a friend from a phone booth and ask if we can have roast pork and a pint in a popular spot at the nearby city suburb. If you are in Kampala ask to have traditional roast pork at Wandegeya and you will have an experience of a lifetime!

WaterAid in Uganda