ASD spent a week visiting Solome Mukisa and Matilda Nabukonde, African Women and Water Conference participants, working with Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare. These amazing women are initiating programs through their organization to address the needs of Uganda's children, addressing issues ranging from property rights for women to HIV/AIDS. Solome and Matilda returned to Uganda after the African Women and Water Conference with the vision of creating a water program that will address the needs of their target commmunities, starting with grandmothers.
A grandmother in Mityana District of Uganda who participates in UCOBAC's grandmothers program. She was the first recipient of a rain water harvesting (RWH) system that is part of UCOBAC's implementation of their new water project that will eventually expand to more communities and target schools and health facilities. They are using their knowledge and seed grant from the African Women and Water Conference to construct purpose built surfaces to collect rain water in hopes of easing the burden of the grandchildren that these strong women support.
The road to the village where UCOBAC works with groups of grandmothers is pretty rugged!
One example of a rain water harvesting storage tank in Mityana District. This home of a community leader is setting an example to members of his village.
These metal water storage tanks are typical, yet uncommon (probably due to the cost), in Uganda. This little boy brings his laundry close to the water source to do his washing.
The faces of the grandchildren of Mityana District...
These children don’t have a carefree-videogame playing existence like so many of their peers in the more developed 1st world. They fetch water and firewood for cooking, help to take care of their younger siblings and carry out household chores that their weak grandparents are unable to do alone.
This is Grace and she makes two trips a day to this water source to carry water a kilometer uphill to her family. She gets a drink of water using a leaf fashioned into a cup before starting her journey back. This unprotected water source was tested and was confirmed to have high counts of E. Coli, an indication that there can been recent fecal contamination.
Collecting a water sample to be tested using the Portable Microbiology Laboratory, designed by California State University, Sacramento microbiologist, Dr. Robert Metcalf.
Young girls collecting water for a source that has been improved to provide some protection from contamination. When tested it was shown to have better water quality than the water source shown above where Grace collects her family’s water.
The morning chore of walking for water.
The grandmothers and grandchildren carrying supplies brought by UCOBAC to construct surfaces for rain water harvesting.
Construction of UCOBAC’s first purpose built surface for collecting rain water.
Children learning how to use the newly introduced Tippy Tap to wash their hands. It was placed near the latrines and the kitchen to encourage the children to wash their hands at these two critical times, after using the latrine and before preparing food.
Benard, UCOBAC’s regional staff gives an introduction to the grandmothers and their grandchildren about the rain water harvesting project.
Alice, a CORP member of UCOBAC carries a 200 liter plastic water storage tank to the site of the second of 10 homes to be the first recipients of the new rain water harvesting project. UCOBAC has a unique and effective strategy for their organizational structure. At the community level they have CORP (community own resource person) leaders, selected by the community who are in charge of a so-called solidarity group of 4 homesteads and oversee the implementation of UCOBAC’s programs.
The grandmothers working hard to place the four posts that will support a simple iron sheet to create a surface where rain water can be collected easily.
Matilda, one of UCOBAC’s program leaders, and participant at the African Women and Water Conference, teaching the community members about the need to have correct placement of gutters in order to ensure a rain water catchment system is as efficient as possible.
The village chief showing us an example of how the community is already harvesting rainwater for use watering the small garden that borders this house.
The improvised finishing touches of a purpose built rain water harvesting structure. They will replace this gutter with the hollowed out truck of a banana tree.
Matilda teaching the grandmothers that even a thatched roof building can be used as a surface to collect rain water.
The second group of grandmothers who received an introduction to rain water harvesting and awareness on good practices of water, sanitation and hygiene during Mariah’s site visit with UCOBAC.
The first group of grandmothers poses for a group picture after the construction of purpose built rain water harvesting surfaces at two of their members’ homes.
Solome Mukisa and Matilde Nabukonde stand in the yard of their soon to be finished UCOBAC Secretariat offices and care center which will serve the needs of women, children and people living with HIV/AIDS from the nearby slum community.
Solome and Matilda receive their seed grant money from the African Women and Water Conference after completing a proposal and participating in the online forum, Peer Water Exchange. Though this well-established and successful organization is used to receiving larger sums of money for project implementation, they express firmly that “there is no small money; any money used to affect the life of a person or community in a positive way is important.”
