Oturoloya – A Village Once Forgotten Finds Hope

While most Drop in the Bucket projects take place in remote, hard-to-reach villages, that’s not always the case. Oturoloya, a village in the Bardege-Layibi sub-county of Gulu district in northern Uganda, had no clean water, even though neighboring villages had wells.

To the villagers, it felt like they had been forgotten. The nearest wells were too far to walk to and from daily, so the community dug their own waterhole. But even that was a long walk away, and it came with other issues.

During the rainy season, the sides of the waterhole would collapse inward, forcing villagers to constantly clear it out. Though this made collecting water easier, it did little to prevent contamination. Villagers tried to avoid scooping visible debris into their containers, but the bacteria they couldn’t see was still making them sick.

A Community Asking for Assistance

Hoping for a solution, some villagers took their concerns to the local water office. They asked if the district could drill a well in Oturoloya The officials sympathized but lacked the necessary funding, leaving the villagers feeling despondent but determined to keep trying.

Their persistence paid off when a white truck bearing the Drop in the Bucket logo arrived in the village. Our team assessed the water situation and identified a promising location for a well. A week later, we returned to conduct a hydrogeological survey and confirmed that a borehole well could be successfully drilled in the village.

Ojok Nelson, had this to say about the situation before the well.

“We had taken our requests to the elected leader several times, but nothing happened. It made us feel like we lived in a forgotten village.”

However, the mood quickly changed when Drop in the Bucket answered their call for help.

Abalo Grace, a mother of five, was relieved that her days of clearing the waterhole were over.

“The new well saves me so much time, both in terms of walking and because the water is always clean. We no longer have to dig.”

The Community Shares Their Excitement

The joy was shared by everyone in Oturoloya.

Otim Venansio, a 74-year-old villager, beamed as he shared:

“The borehole is close to my home, so every day I fill and carry home three jerricans of water.”

Okello Richard was delighted by how much closer the well was:

“I am using the water to make clay bricks and improve my home.”

He proudly displayed his bricks and outlined his building plans.

Apio Filder emphasized the importance of maintaining the well. The community had already formed a water source committee to ensure the borehole remained in good condition.

During the handover ceremony, Yasino Oyat, deputy mayor of the Bardege-Layibi sub-county, addressed the crowd:

“This borehole is now yours! Take good care of it and let other communities admire your borehole.”

He also pledged assistance, providing materials to build a protective fence around the well.

A Brighter Future for Oturoloya

Now, Oturoloya has a fully functioning borehole well, and the villagers no longer feel forgotten. With clean, reliable water, their optimism for the future is stronger than ever.

Drop in the Bucket continues to work toward providing sustainable solutions for communities in need. By supporting drilling water wells for communities in Africa, we help ensure villages like Oturoloya never feel forgotten again.