Small communities in Western Uganda's Masindi district struggle to meet their most basic needs. The majority of Masindi’s residents are subsistence farmers who raise crops such as maize and cassava to feed their families and sell for a small profit. Currently, many of the district's villages seriously suffer from a lack of basic services such as clean water and proper sanitation. For most families, the distance to protected water source is so great that many are forced to collect water from nearby contaminated pools. These sources expose the villagers to serious water-borne diseases including typhoid, giardia and intestinal worms.
This project will ensure 1,200 residents of Masindi are provided with a protected source of clean water as well as the tools they need to improve sanitation and health standards in their community. It will specifically fund the construction of a shallow hang-dug well and the purchase of adequate tools to help all the residents of one village to build pit latrines within their homesteads. These improvements will considerably reduce the frequency of disease in the village and allow families to enjoy a better quality of life.
A shallow well will be hand dug in one of Masindi's villages. Once a satisfactory depth is reached, the well will be lined with bricks to provide structural support for its walls. To ensure the well is protected from contamination, it will be capped with a concrete slab and equipped with a hand pump. A drainage system will also be constructed to prevent any standing water from accumulating around the pump base.
Community members will be provided with pick axes and shovels to excavate the pits in their homes and construct pit latrines. They will then use local materials to build the superstructure. A health seminar and subsequent follow ups will also be conducted in the village to emphasize good hygienic practices.
In Masindi, the consumption of dirty drinking water causes numerous preventable diseases. These illnesses often lead to debilitating symptoms such as diarrhea, which can weaken adults and prove fatal to children. Issues related to unsafe water sources in the district's village are compounded by poor sanitation facilities that contribute to the spread of disease. In particular, the practice of open defecation creates an environment in which fecal matter can easily contaminate key water and nutritional resources. By providing a proper source of clean water and tools needed to improve sanitation in Masindi, this project will considerably lessen the transmission of diseases within the community.
This project is designed to involve the Masindi community as much as possible. The shallow well will be hand dug and the villagers will provide the majority of the needed labor. A technician will be on-site to supervise and carry out all the technical aspects of the construction such as bricking up the well walls and building a drainage system. The well’s hand pump will be installed by a trained mechanic. To ensure the well is properly maintained a group of 8 - 10 community members will be elected to a Water User Committee and will be trained in their roles and responsibilities.
The villagers will be completely responsible for the construction of pit latrines in their homes. They will use the provided equipment to dig pits after which point, they will build latrine superstructures using locally available materials. Baseline surveys conducted before and after the project will help to assess the impact of the interventions of hygiene and sanitation in Masindi.
Falls Church, VA
Regency Realty Group Inc. -.
Jacksonville, FL
John F.
Falls Church, VA
Todd N.
Alexandria, VA
Luis R.
Reston, VA
Regency Realty Group Inc. -. donated to Theresa Gall & John Fitzpatrick Wedding! - about 1 year ago visit the project
Shannon K. donated to Theresa Gall & John Fitzpatrick Wedding! - about 1 year ago visit the project
John F. donated to Theresa Gall & John Fitzpatrick Wedding! - about 1 year ago visit the project
Todd N. donated to Theresa Gall & John Fitzpatrick Wedding! - about 1 year ago visit the project
Luis R. donated to Theresa Gall & John Fitzpatrick Wedding! - about 1 year ago visit the project
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