Project Update

Aromo Sub-County Community Water & Sanitation Project

23-Jan-2012: While the dry season in northern Uganda brings many challenges it makes for a productive time for drilling wells and constructing latrines.  Roads are dry and stable making transportation easier for our partners at Divine Waters.  Drilling wells when it is the dry season - when the water table is at its lowest point - helps to ensure that drilling is deep enough to pump water even at the very driest times of year.  This helps to ensure that water will be accessible all year round when the well is complete.

  • School latrines are now complete with an improved design including rainwater harvesting for handwashing, a private washing room for girls and, where feasible, a drainable pit so that the latrine can be pumped out like a septic tank - a more sustainable design for the future.
  • Continued training of the local Water Source Committees will help to support sustainable management of wells and latrines
  • Second "Training of Trainers" session held to further engage hygiene trainers and integrate with Village Health Teams

"I will tell my fellow women especially women to keep clean their water sources and containers used for fetching and storing water.   It shall now be my commitment and blessing to let them have all the other truths too.  My joy now shall be to see women do things differently because I will have told them."
- Santa, 38 year old female participant in the Training of Trainers

 

CIDA 23Jan CIDA 9Feb12_Saida
Divine Waters field crew completes a rainwater harvesting jar and latrine at Agak Primary School. Saida of Dam Odoca Village is learning about tippy taps for handwashing. She is a widow and says she wants to learn for herself to train her fellow women.

 

17-Nov-2011: Our partners at Divine Waters have used the last few months to further training of hygiene trainers, construct 4 more wells and 5 latrines that are near completion. 10 hygiene trainers learned about keeping water safe, handwashing, their role in collaboration with local Water Source Committees for operation and maintenance of wells and shared roles for males and females in house water supplies and sanitation.

  • Four more wells have been completed for Wipunu, Odoce, Wigweng and Acan Godi villages.
  • Latrines are near completion for Apua Primary School, Acutkumu Primary School, Aromo Secondary School, Akore Primary School and St. Gabriel - Agak Primary School.
  • GPS data has been collected for 9 well sites and mapped.
  • 10 hygiene trainers have been trained to teach others about WASH.

 

CIDA 17Nov CIDA 17Nov 2
Before - an unsafe water source
 After - drilling began in Sept. for a new well

"We have been drinking from the swamp but you can't believe that we have been surviving.  We spend a lot of money treating diarrhea and other water related diseases. We are now sure of drinking from a clean source."
- Evelyn Oryem, 20 years old from Odoce Village

 

20-Sep-2011: Since late March, 5 wells have been constructed and 150 women and 108 men have participate in community water and sanitation training. Of those trained, 45 people (20 women and 25 men) have been identifed as members of the local water and sanitation committees for each well. These activities have already lead to positive social, economic and health impacts.   Work continues in Aromo with the rainy season setting in.

  • Identification of locations and construction of 5 shallow wells for Aleka, Lela Dam, Ayang, Arwot Olaro and Apuce communities.
  • Water and sanitation training for 258 people with 9 people per community being elected and further trained to be a member of the local Water Supply and Sanitation Committee.
  • Identification of 6 priority schools with the greatest need for latrine construction.
  • Purchase of 2 motorcycles and 4 bicycles for Divine Waters staff, field supervisor and health trainers to travel to remote communities in Aromo.

 

CIDA photo before CIDA photo after
Before - an unsafe water source
 After - a new well
"We the young women would struggle and fight for water at our former source.  We could take long because of the distance and yet bring home mud causing problems at home."
- Agnes Aporo, 38 years old from Ayang Village

Challenges and Lessons Learned:

  • Aromo Sub-County leaders and the community are willing to participate and support this project.
  • Most villages of Aromo are still highly populated with poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation facilities.
  • All age groups are engaged in the construction of community resources.
  • About 50% of the communities in Aromo still don't have safe water.
  • Many households were spending money for transporting water from far villages and they have now been relieved of this burden.

 

Watch for more updates as this project continues through 2013 for the people of Aromo Sub-County!

 

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