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Some Good News for the Bulumwaki Primary School

A Headteacher in a Tough Position

It was January 2022, and Bulumwaki primary school was struggling. The new year had brought 836 pupils to the school, but there was no clean water. “We really needed a borehole (well), but we did not have the resources to get one drilled, and we had no way to raise that kind of money,” recalls Namutubu Oliver, the school’s head teacher.

Namutubu Oliver - head teacher at the Bulumwaki primary school in Uganda
Bulumwaki’s head teacher Namutubu Oliver

Just a 10-minute walk from the school was a community well that they could use. Most days, this was not too big a problem. It did take 20 minutes to get there and back, which meant missing half a lesson. But there were days when the lines at the well were long, and on those days, the children would take an hour or more to get water.

The Shadoof

The second option was a hand-dug waterhole locally known as a ‘shadoof.’ The water from the shadoof was neither clean nor safe to drink, but on days when the lines at the well were long, the shadoof was the only option.Mukiisa Priscilla is a student at Bulumwaki. She hated missing lessons and would get frustrated standing in line at the community well. “In the mornings, the school would tell us we needed to go and fetch water. They asked us because we were older and stronger than the little children, but we did not want to miss school.” For Mukiisa, the new well meant that students no longer have to walk for water. “The most frustrating situation was when we were studying for our final exams, and they would make us stop to fetch water.”

The headteacher knew she was in a tough position. The last year of primary school is when the students’ exam results matter the most, so while she hated sending them, she had no choice. The younger children were not as strong or able to walk as fast, so it took them longer, and they missed more school. She is relieved she no longer has to make such difficult choices.

The shadoof had its problems too! Every dry season, it would stop producing water. It was also impossible to keep livestock out, so it was always polluted with animal waste.

Before the Well

Oliver’s voice gets quiet as she remembers how things were. “There were times when the children were sick with the flu or had colds and needed water for their dry throats or to wash their faces and hands. I had to tell them to wait until break or lunchtime when we could get more water.”

“Things were much worse for girls during their menstrual cycle. We have a changing room for girls, but without water, it was not much use. Some menstruating girls had to just sit and wait until we could go and fetch water. This resulted in poor hygiene, embarrassment, and missing lessons,” remembers the headteacher. In smaller schools, teachers and students end up using the same toilets. With toilets being used by so many students and no water to keep them clean, the teachers’ frustration was understandable. And no water for washing hands after using the toilets opened the school up to even more health risks.

Mukungu Grace - a teacher from Bulumwaki primary school in Uganda
Mukungu Grace holds a fellow teacher’s young child.

Mukungu Grace, one of the affected teachers, recalls. “We had to be careful about what we ate, so that if possible, we could wait to use the toilet at home. The ones at the school were just too disgusting.”

Bulumwaki Primary Now Has Clean Water

Bulumwaki primary in Uganda has a new water well thanks to the non-profit Drop in the Bucket
Bulumwaki primary school’s new well.

By October of that year, it was a different story at Bulumwaki. With a new borehole well drilled by the non-profit Drop in the Bucket, the school was now thriving. “I am happy about the new well! Happy about the health of my students. Happy about the hygiene of our girls, and I’m happy our teachers are happy,” says Oliver, the headteacher.

With every contribution to Drop in the Bucket, you can be part of the solution that provides clean and safe water to schools in Uganda and South Sudan. By supporting our work, you not only ensure that students can focus on their studies and stay healthy but also help empower communities to thrive. With your contribution, we can work towards a world where every child has access to the basic necessities of life, regardless of their circumstances.
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How a Well in Africa Changed One Woman’s Life

Akot Rose Ajok stands by the new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket in Kati Kati West
Akot Rose Ajok stands by the new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket

How a Well in Africa Changed one Woman’s Life

Kati-Kati West, a rural community in northern Uganda, witnessed how a well in Africa changed one woman’s life. Akot Rose Ajok, a single mother of five, previously struggled to make ends meet. Before Covid, she worked as a matron in a local primary school. When the pandemic closed schools, she lost her income. Determined to support her family, she started baking and selling pastries, including simsim cookies, popular in Uganda. These require a lot of water to wash sesame seeds, making the well crucial.

Sesame seed cookies (Simsim) popular in Uganda
Sesame seed cookies (Simsim) popular in Uganda

Akot Rose worried about starting her new business. She knew that to make cookies, she would need at least seven jerricans of water daily. “It takes a lot of water to wash the sesame seeds,” she explains. Fortunately, the new well drilled by Drop In The Bucket arrived just in time to support her endeavor.

The Difference Made by Clean Water

The upcoming Christmas holidays were a pressing concern for Akot. However, the money she earned from selling simsim allowed her to buy new clothes for her children, ensuring their best Christmas ever. As she starts the new year, she is excited that she has already put aside enough money to pay her children’s school fees. With the news reporting that schools in Uganda are finally reopening soon, the future looks bright for Akot Rose and her children.

A child at Kati Kati West in Uganda fetching clean water from the new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket
A child at Kati Kati West in Uganda fetching clean water from the new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket

Now that Kati Kati West Has a Well: a Well in Africa Changed one Woman’s Life

“The borehole is near my home. I’m happy to have clean water for drinking and cooking,” she says. With a smile, she adds, “I’ll never use unclean water for making cookies again.” She told the school she won’t return to her old job. Akon has a new career – making pastries.

Children at Kati Kati West in Uganda enjoying clean water from the new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket
Children at Kati Kati West in Uganda enjoying clean water from the new well drilled by Drop in the Bucket

This story from Kati Kati West demonstrates how the new well has transformed lives. Follow Drop in the Bucket on Facebook and Instagram for more updates on our work.

 

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