GOAL has been working in Uganda since 1979 focusing on three of GOAL’s strategic areas: health (including WASH), food security and nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods.
“We have been implementing WASH programs in Uganda since 2003. We transitioned from an emergency approach through crisis recovery to a development WASH program, with an increasing focus on achieving sustainable impact using a systems approach. We work directly with communities and through partnerships and collaboration with civil society organisations, UWASNET, the private sector and in close coordination with local district governments (Bugiri, Namayingo, and Kaabong Districts), regional government structures (Technical Support Units and Umbrella Organizations) and the national government of Uganda.” Gloria Berochan, the Deputy Director of Programme-WASH, GOAL Uganda says.
“Geographically, our WASH program has been implemented in Northern Uganda (Agago), Karamoja (Abim, Kaabong), and Eastern Uganda (Bugiri and Namayingo). In the past five years we have increased access to safe and clean water for over 250,000 people. As a result over 500 communities now have access to defecation free water in Bugiri and Namayingo districts,” Gloria adds.
In 2019, GOAL drilled 127 new boreholes, rehabilitated 32 boreholes and constructed a new piped water scheme in Bugiri and Namayingo districts.
“The situation of access to water in this area before installation of this piped water scheme was bad. You would find a community moving over 2km in search of water,” says Simon Peter Ojoto, the WASH project manager, GOAL Uganda, Namayingo district in Eastern Uganda.
“We realised that if we connected a piped water scheme to these areas, these communities would be served very well,” Ojoto adds.
Rose Akol, a farmer from Buhemba sub-county, says they had to travel far away to get water from a swamp.
“I had to walk in the swamp with water up to my waist. The water was brown as it was mixed with mud. It was also infested with worms that used to bite us. But now, I get water from a tap in a few minutes ,” Akol testifies.
This was what led to the birth of the Dowhe Piped Water Scheme.
Ojoto says GOAL Uganda did not have experience in constructing piped water schemes, so they used Buhemba as the model scheme.
“We went through the entire design process with the water ministry and district management, Then we came up with a desirable design that was approved,” he says.
John Okumu, the WASH technical officer, GOAL Uganda, Namayingo district, Eastern Uganda, says initially, they face challenges of geological constraints in terms of poor ground water retention and salinity.
Okumu says they also did the environmental impact assessment John Okumu-WASH technical Officer at GOAL “Construction started on October 15, 2019 and was completed between February 5-10, 2020.
This piped water scheme cover around 1.5km and serves a community of about 1,600 people. It also serves institutions like schools as well as trading centres,” he says. Okumu explains that the project has a design life of 20 years
Ojoto says what makes the project unique is that it is serving a community within a scattered area.
“It is also constructed in a typical rural area. So, the lowest person in the community is the one accessing this water,” he says.
Another resident of Buhemba and beneficiary of the project says: “I am very happy now because the children and I can clean ourselves anytime we need to. I can also cook whenever we are hungry using clean and safe water. Our animals too have drinking water.
We went through the entire design process with the water ministry and district management, then we came up with a desirable design that was approved.
“The project brought such big relief because we had to travel a long distance to get water. I also used to spend a lot of money buying water for my bricks business. But now, for a small fee, I can all the water I need from a nearby tap,” she says.
She adds that to ensure that the taps are well-maintained, the community agreed to pay a small fee whenever one fetches water. The money collected is used to repair any damages to the water system.
Ojoto says to protect the piped water system, they made sure that there are caretakers within the community to look after the facility.
“They report any defects, cases of intrusion, and they inform and advise the management team on what is going on on the ground,” he says.
Challenges faced
Ojoto says they faced quite a number of challenges before setting up the water system.
“For instance, it took us long to convince the local leadership to convince the people to volunteer the places (land) where the facility was to be set up,” he says.
Okumu explains that they worked out a memorandum of standing with the Namayingo District local government.
“Their role was to engage with the community to make sure that they sort out the issue of land. They also had to sensitise the community about the benefits and to accept the water scheme,” he says.
Edgar Onyango, the Buhemba sub-county chief in Namayingo District, says: “My role was to mobilise the community together with the community development officer to accept the water scheme. We also had to ensure we get the land where the project is.”
The team also faced a tough time when setting up the water system because the works were done during a rainy season.
“The vehicles carrying the materials would get stuck on the way and at times take up to three days to reach the site. This also partly delayed the project,” Okumu says.
