A School in Uganda Where People and Livestock Were Drinking the Same Water

The Ogwari Primary School is clearly visible from the road. A person driving by might have thought this school and the whole community were thriving. But what you wouldn’t see from the road was a water situation that was both alarming and sometimes deadly. Now thanks to new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket, things are looking up for the local residents. 

Before the well

Mr. Oree Okello Jackson, the elderly headteacher of the Ogwari Primary School reveals that the community shared the same shallow well with animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

According to Mr. Oree, “Once pigs enter your water source, and dip their mouths in it, you should consider it unsafe.” The pigs and other livestock are free to roam around the area. While they’re drinking, they stand in the water and often urinate and defecate. This same waterhole has been sustaining the entire community for drinking, cooking and domestic use.

The real negative effect

Sometimes, when there were no adults around, local children would also bathe in the water hole. Although, the community knew the water was unclean and not safe to drink, there was no other option. Oree said the contamination was visible as you could see small organisms swimming in the buckets of water people collected for their homes.

Ejang Sharon, a housewife and mother of three, painfully recounted the time her three-year-old daughter Adong Bridget fell critically ill and was rushed to the hospital after a series of stomach pains and vomiting. 

The test results revealed that Adong had contracted bilharzia, a chronic disease caused by water-borne parasitic worms. Known to damage the internal organs and potentially lead to death, Ejang was terrified that she was going to lose her daughter to the illness. Luckily, Adong was treated just in time.

The doctor advised Ejang to always boil water before giving it to her family to drink. While she tried her best to comply, she said a lack of time and scarcity of firewood made it difficult to boil all the water her family needed each day.

The Solution

After inspecting and assessing the dire water situation in Ogwari, Drop in the Bucket drilled a well in the heart of the community. The faces of the community residents lit up with joy as they collected clean water from their brand new well.

“I can rest easy now that I know what happened to my child will not happen again,” beamed Ejang. “Bilharzia has become a thing of the past here.” 

Akite Nancy, a 15-year-old Ogwari primary school student, said she will now have all the clean water she needs and will no longer have to put her life in danger by simply quenching her thirst. 

Mr. Oree was overjoyed that Drop in the Bucket identified his community’s main problem and solved it. Looking to the future, he assured his fellow residents that he would work with Drop in the Bucket to maintain the well and make sure it remains a fixture in the community.

“This is a great blessing,” he said. “Life is surely going to change in this area.”

Clean Water – a Constant Concern for Patients and Staff at the Wii Anaka Health Center in Nwoya, Uganda

Ojok Patrick works at the Wii Anaka Health Center II in Nwoya, Uganda. Every morning he rides his bicycle several miles to fetch water from distant Wang Angila. The water there is piped in, so it is the only safe clean water available to the health center. It is also the only safe water in the area, so there are always long lines. The distance and wait make it impossible for Ojok to make more than one trip  each day. When he does make his daily trip, he can only load four containers of water on his bicycle. This water has to be rationed by the entire staff at the health center. The water he brings is used by the patients for drinking and taking their medicine. It is also used by the medical staff for treating patients, and the maintenance staff for cleaning. 

Wilobo Willy George is the laboratory technician at the health center, and he uses the water Ojok brings every day. He says his department is the most affected by the water rationing because they need it for hand washing, cleaning equipment, diluting reagents, and in staining.  Staining is the process of dipping the blood sample for test in a reagent then in water repeatedly. “I have to perform so many tasks that require water, but rarely do I have enough water to complete them,” he says. In many cases, he even has to leave the center to fetch water by bicycle as his patients wait.

A Midwife’s Struggle

“They say ‘why go to a health center when the conditions are the same at home?’”

Sharon Faith – Midwife at the Wii Anaka Health Center III in Uganda.

Aber Sharon Faith, the midwife at the health center, says they never have enough water in the maternity ward. While most people realize that delivering babies requires water, clean water is also needed for cooking. Additionally, the maternity room must be thoroughly cleaned before delivering each baby. This lack of water at the facility discourages expectant mothers from going to the hospital to give birth. Many mothers prefer to have their baby at home rather than a facility that lacks clean water. Aber shakes her head resignedly, “they say, ‘why go to a health center when the conditions are the same at home?’”

During the dry season, even the piped water runs out. This leaves the health center with no choice but to use any water they can find. In rural Africa the water situation is often dire with people drinking water from dirty water holes and ponds. The health center installed a rain water harvesting tank. This has proven useful during rain season, but it’s not uncommon to find dead lizards in the tank, contaminating the water and making it unsafe. 

Drop In The Bucket provides clean water to the Wii Anaka Health Center II in Nwoya, Uganda

Thanks to a generous donation from the Feya Foundation and Causebox, Drop In The Bucket were able to drill a well for the Wii Anaka Health Center. The staff and locals celebrated after DROP finished drilling the well. The community donated a goat and held a celebratory feast.

“I, in particular, celebrated the fact that I will finally have enough water for all my laboratory needs,” said a thrilled Wilobo. 

“Before the well, we would often be short on water when women went into labor during the night.  Now we have water right in our yard,” said the excited midwife Aber. “We shall now have enough water for swallowing our tablets, and we might not even need to carry water from home like before,” states Adok Joan, a patient who came for treatment. 

International Day of the Girl Child 2021

International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated each year on October 11^th. The aim is to shine a light the many challenges young girls face around the world and promote equality and human rights for all.

In societies where gender-based violence, child marriage, inequalities in education and health care are common, this event promotes awareness and sends messages to girls, families and local leaders that all girls have a right to live free from harm.

DROP’s education team and students participate every year in the event in South Sudan. And each year has a special theme. This year the message was: Digital Generation, Our Generation. 

Along with a parade and celebration, there are a number of activities planned to promote social change and encourage girls to learn skills to help them become future leaders.  

Girls as Future Leaders

One of the activities this year was to allow students to spend the day working in a local leadership position. So, for one day, the town clerk, county commissioner, hospital administrator, and radio station manager opened their doors to these youth. The students chaired meetings and were put into decision-making positions. This provided them with new insight into the adult world and also encouraged those leaders to hear their views and specific calls for action.

Then the celebration culminated in an event that included songs, dance and speeches.

Some of the songs were about issues of child marriage. One mother gave a heartfelt speech to the gathered students. “In all of Africa, we in South Sudan are the lowest. Education is the only way to bring us up.”

DROP has participated in this event for over a decade in South Sudan. In other years, the event was larger and included many other development partners. But things are changing. These days there is less focus on development projects, especially those centered around education. The world seems to be in a state of emergency and funding has followed. But we refuse to give up on these students. The world depends on them. And we will be there for them. 

Water and Sanitation Updates from Drop in the Bucket

As we are entering into the final quarter of the year, there is a lot happening at DROP. Our drilling team has just wrapped up a large water and sanitation project at our girl’s dorm in Nimule, South Sudan to align with our goal of providing more water wells for schools in Africa.

A Motorized Water System for a Disabled School in Uganda

We installed a motorized solar water system that provides water to not only the dorm, but also taps for the surrounding community and a church-run school next door for about 60 disabled children. They had all previously been using a hand pumped well. But now they have We installed a motorized solar water system that pipes water to not only the dorm, but also provides taps for the surrounding community and a church-run school next door for about 60 disabled children. They had all previously been using a hand pumped well. But now they have taps to deliver their water directly to them.  We also constructed an improved sanitation system and showers for the girls staying in the dorm. 

I5 New Water Wells For Schools in Africa

The drilling team is currently on their way back to the field to close out the year drilling 15 wells for schools and communities in three districts in northern Uganda. 
The dorm has become an important location lately for engaging our students during the second year of covid. Since vaccines are not readily available here, Uganda has kept the schools closed since May. However, South Sudan schools have remained open. And since DROP supports girls with scholarships in both countries, we have used the dorm as a temporary school for our students who were enrolled in Uganda. 

We have brought over teachers from Uganda to focus specifically on math, English and physics. We have also introduced sports, games, gardening and a library with, not only textbooks, but also leisure reading materials.  Also, on a recent trip to the capital to inquire about additional funding opportunities for the education program, we learned that DROP is the only NGO in South Sudan currently supporting O level secondary students with scholarships as part of an ongoing development project. Most all funding these days is aimed at emergency relief or primary schools. 

Last Monday, October 11th, was International Day of the Girl Child. In prior years this has been a big event with various local, national and international organizations participating. This year DROP was one of only two international organizations represented at the event.

Campaign: 20 Water Wells for 20 Health Centers in Africa

During the last few months of 2020, Drop In The Bucket launched an initiative to drill twenty water wells at twenty health centers in Africa. These water wells would be drilled in the Pader district of northern Uganda. The campaign was a direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic, addressing the grim reality that many of the region’s health centers were struggling to provide clean water for their patients. No water to wash their hands. No water to ingest medicine. No water to facilitate treatments, and no water to help with general hygiene and cleanliness.

The Situation – A Lack of Clean Water with Dire Consequences.

The situation was dire and required immediate attention, so we started an online campaign. The response from our donors was immediate. Within just a few months we had all the funding we needed to drill those twenty wells – and more. Our drillers are currently in the field, and work is progressing fast and efficiently. We expect another three wells to be completed this week, and there are no plans to stop working until all the health centers on our list have clean water.

What difference can one well make?

Latigi Health Center II is a new facility, built in a recently updated building that houses both the healthcare facilities and staff quarters. But Latigi does not have running water. The only nearby water source is a well that broke down several months ago. This means that the health center staff have to walk several miles to a distant community and stand in a long line at the well, then walk back carrying the water. Without this water, they can’t clean their instruments, they can’t clean the facilities, and they can’t treat patients. This is also the only water they have to drink.

One Nurse’s Story

Salva Abaa is a nursing assistant at Latigi. He cares deeply about helping his community, but these days he spends far more time hauling water than treating patients. “The people who come here suffer a lot,” he tells us. “They come to my home asking for drinking water.”

He is more than happy to help out when he can, but with so little water available, he can’t even clean his cup and dish after each use. The Ugandan Ministry of Health recommends that staff thoroughly clean and sanitize every health center twice a day. Salva and his coworkers struggle to maintain these standards. But without an easily accessible water source, the extra labor leaves them exhausted.

Due to the lack of running water at the facility, Latigi is not treated as a priority by the government agency in charge of distributing medicine. Salva says that deliveries are regularly late, and the center is inadequately stocked. This means that even after working hard to gather water for the facility, they sometimes have to turn patients away. This is usually due to a lack of medicine. For Salva – and the countless healthcare workers like him – not being able to help people in need is the toughest part of his job.

20 Water Wells For 20 Health Centers in Africa

Twenty water wells for health centers in Africa is not enough. We can’t stop until no patient is turned away – and clean water is where we can make the greatest difference. As we know from our own battles with Covid-19, personal and social hygiene are the easiest ways to stop the spread of communicable diseases, and we plan on continuing to raise money so we can keep drilling at more health centers and schools throughout the pandemic, and beyond.

For a moment, think about how difficult it is to start your day without brushing your teeth. Or how you’d feel preparing your family’s food without being able to wash your hands all day. Or merely the thought of turning on your computer without that first cup of morning coffee. Think about how exhausting housework can be… Now think about carrying ten, fifteen, twenty gallons of water several miles – all before you can even start your workday.

Can we really make a difference from the other side of the planet? Just ask the doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals who are working around the clock to provide relief to people not only suffering from Covid-19 but countless other ailments we take for granted. Take Salva’s word for it – Africa needs water wells and every dollar helps. Thank you for your continued support. To learn more or donate, visit our donation page.

Today is Giving Tuesday. This is an opportunity to redirect your attention away from the constant stream of consumerism and focus on those in need. 

This year has brought many changes to all of our lives but one thing remains the same. There are families in Africa that need clean water. And here at DROP we are thankful for our loyal supporters who share our mission to help them. Together we are bringing water, education and development to rural Africa.

And in that spirit, we are gearing up to begin our current water project: 20 wells for 20 clinics in 2020. The team is loading the trucks now and heading out to begin drilling next week. We have almost reached our target of funding for 20 wells. But we need your help. Click here to support water for a clinic or health center in northern Uganda.

Ogago Health Center II – Where the security guard has to leave her post to fetch water

When Christina Owila applied to be the security guard at Ogago Health Center II, she knew her job would include creating a safe and welcoming space for anyone seeking care at the center and potentially heading off any would-be thieves. What she didn’t know was that most of her energy would go towards keeping the center stocked with water.

While there is a school near to the health center that has a well, it is a shallow well rather than a deep borehole well like the ones that Drop in the Bucket drills. It has also been broken for more than a year. During the rainy season, this open well floods with polluted standing water, making the water unsafe to drink. The closest safe water source is a well at the distant trading center, a grueling walk in the hot sun. The trading center’s well also charges for the use of the well, a common practice in Uganda.

“Even Dirty Water is Better Than No Water”

Christine wakes up hours before Ogago opens to make sure the center has the water it needs for the day. Whenever possible she makes the long walk to the training center, but money, time restrictions, and high demand mean that more often than not the open well is her only option. The patients at Ogago desperately need water to drink and use to take their medications, and new mothers need safe water so they can sponge bathe their newborns. Using water from the open well puts both new moms and their babies at risk of infection, but any water is better than no water.

Cecilia Avero is the director of Ogago Health Center II. She works tirelessly to find solutions for the water problem, but the center simply does not have the funds for a sustainable solution. The added strain of the coronavirus pandemic has made a difficult situation significantly worse. The new guidelines from Uganda’s Ministry of Health mean that the center has to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized twice a day, but this added workload also means more time spent walking for water.

A Water Well Would Change Everything

Both Cecilia and Christine do everything they can to make sure their patients have clean water and sanitary working conditions for the medical staff, and the burden of the work and keeping the space clean is a lot to deal with. A well at the health center would change everything for the staff at Ogago and would allow them to spend their days with confidence and allow them to focus on their patients without the additional burden of walking for water.

How Can You Help?

Drop in the Bucket is currently running a campaign to raise the money for 20 wells at health centers in Pader district. By providing these healthcare specialists with clean water we can help them better serve their communities and help save lives. But we need your help!

While a single donation may not seem like it will make much of an impact, together we can turn every drop in the bucket into a wave that will change lives for the better. Please consider making a donation so that Cecilia and Christine can do what they do best: provide a safe healing space for their community.

To help Christine and the staff at Ogago Health Center, please visit our 20 Wells for 2020 Clinics campaign.