Mukono Women's AIDS Task Force

ASD travelled to Uganda in January to follow up with Namulondo Sarah Asumini and the organizationn she has established, Mukono Women's AIDS Task Force.

Sarah Namulondo and Mariah at the source of this River Nile in Jinja, Uganda. This river travels 4,000 miles, taking three months for one drop of water to reach Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. Amazing to stand on the banks of this river, which nurtures this region’s fertile rolling hills and reflect on the places we had visited in the past three days (as close as 40 km away) where the people are struggling to find access to water.

The boda boda (local name for motorcycle) driver goes away from delivering snacks to our workshop with not only his earnings but a bag full of condoms. MWATF does outreach with many different community groups on HIV/AIDS, from mother’s groups to market vendors and public transportation drivers. Sarah doesn’t waste any opportunities to teach the community about protecting themselves and their families against HIV.

The participants of MWATF’s training on HIV/AIDS, water testing with the Portable Microbiology Laboratory and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) education.

Sarah demonstrating how to use the Portable Microbiology Laboratory water testing kit.

Members of MWATF assist in the water testing training.

The humble office of Mukono Women’s AIDS Task Force, with Mr. Okullu, program coordinator, Sarah Namulondo Asumini, founding director, and Annette, office volunteer staff.

The queue for collecting water from a government water station in Mukono. Each 20 liter jerrican costs 100 Ugandan shillings (or $0.05).

A common mode of transportation for water in Africa is the bicycle

Washing clothes and collecting water on the grounds of a school outside of Mukono town, Uganda. The Salama School for the Blind is a boarding school which supports 60 blind children who would otherwise not have the opportunity for such specialized education. They were recently provided with a project that sealed and protected a nearby spring, pumps the water 2 kilometers uphill to the school grounds, and has a treatment and water storage system.

A poorly planned and constructed base for this 5000 liter water storage tank.

This borehole on the Salama School for the Blind grounds is unreliable for its water availability but community members still come here in hopes that that day they will at least a little water to fill their containers.

Air pollution from burning trash and a non-functioning water pump-challenges of an African rural school.

MWATF supporter and legal counselor, James Mulila, washing his hand with water that was drawn from this household’s unique water storage structure. This picture was taken during a site visit in the arid Rakai District, three hours drive southwest of Kampala.

The storage area is simply a dug hole lined with plastic sheeting and covered by brick structure (see picture below).

It stores approximately 10,000 liters of water and is a creative solution to the challenge of not being able to afford a plastic tank or materials for the construction of a Ferro cement tank.

Walking to water...

Sometimes dancing and laughing...

This open spring where these kids above travel to every day is the only water source in the dry season for the community of Kisai, in Rakai District, Uganda.

Shared by all the inhabitants of the community, including livestock, you can see it’s not a very safe source of water.

The path leading down to the water source.

Sarah showing off the VIPs (ventilated pit latrines) and the Tippy Tap hand washing station at the home of one of MWATFs technical trainers.

The children of Kisai, Rakai District, Uganda excited to have a visitor. Here they had just finished singing a song about rain.

Lydia, a member of MWATF, drawing water from a rain water storage tank in Kisai, Rakai District, Uganda. This storage tank was built below ground and the staff were thrilled to find that the water was cool despite the scorching temperature outside.

Mr. Okullu sitting on top of the 20,000 liter water storage tank that is built half below the ground and half above the ground. The portion above the ground was covered with earth and vegetation which helps to keep the tank cool.

The house of Maria, MWATF’s technical trainer for rainwater harvesting and Ferro cement storage tanks. The little house behind the tanks was her original home but after she was trained in rainwater harvesting and water storage at a workshop in Tanzania she was able to offer her services, improve her income and build the larger house to the right. She now serves as a trainer not only for her community and MWATF, but also for Rakai District’s local government.

Maria giving a tour of Kisai village with a landscape that is dominated by tracts of banana cultivation.

A seasonal water “dam” the community has dug out to collect water from the sloping landscape during the rainy season.