Uganda: case studies

Community management

Christophe Mwangushya looks after 19 pumps in Kahangi Parish.

Credit: WaterAid / Jim Holmes

Christophe Mwangushya from Kahangi Parish is a pump mechanic and a farmer. He looks after 19 water pumps and services each of them once a month. He was chosen by the community to be the pump mechanic and was trained by WaterAid.

The community also has a water committee that meets once a month to discuss any problems with the water supply. When the well was first set up the water was turbid and so the committee decided to clean the surrounding area of sand and now the water is clear.

The committee is currently trying to persuade people to stop using traditional wells in the village as the dirty water makes them ill with diseases like dysentery. The people who use the new WaterAid well are much healthier.

A brighter future

Catherine collects water from a newly installed handpump.

Credit: WaterAid / Jim Holmes

WaterAid recently helped the community in Dokoro village install a water supply. 16 year old Ajemo-Catherine lives in the village and regularly collects water from the new supply. Catherine is pleased to have clean water for her 10-month-old baby called Acedu-Lawrence as she knows that without it her baby wouldn't be healthy.

With clean water close to her home Catherine can use the hours she used to spend collecting water in other ways. She now works in the fields earning money and her family can spend more time together. Safe water has brought many improvements to her community including improved health, education and income.

Bringing water to Onino

Solome Amunyo collects water from a traditional water hole in Onino Village.

Credit: WaterAid / Caroline Penn

Solome-Amunyo collects water for her family from the traditional water hole in Onino Village. This water is currently the only source available and she uses it for everything. "The water from here is bad," she says. "We boil it to kill the germs but this isn't always possible. Sometimes people get worms from this water." Diseases from unsafe water and poor sanitation are responsible for half of the deaths in children under five in Uganda.

However, things in Onino are about to change. The community has been working hard building a new well which will soon be opened. Solome-Amunyo will be able to collect clean, safe water for her family and they will no longer have to worry about drinking unsafe water.

Community involvement

Moses Namuyo, mechanic, repairs the system.

Credit: WaterAid / Jim Holmes

In all WaterAid projects the community is involved in planning, building, maintaining and managing the schemes. As part of their project the community in Buwere village identified Moses Namunyo as the mechanic for the scheme.

He is now responsible for repairing any tapstands that go wrong in the area, while other villagers like Jane Wakware act as caretakers and look after each water source on a daily basis. Others like Grace Buwayo are trained as health promoters to encourage the use of good hygiene practices.

Involving community members like Moses, Jane and Grace, is an essential step in development. It helps ensure that communities feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for their project, which in turn makes them more sustainable, providing lasting improvements to people's lives.