Today in Uganda, 61% of Ugandans lack access to safe drinking water and 75% don’t have access to improved sanitation facilities. Every day women and children walk long distances to fetch water from ponds.
This becomes increasingly more difficult during the dry seasons when some water sources dry up. During the dry season, it could take hours to fill a 20 liter bucket. Even during the rainy season where the water is plentiful, lines of people accumulate at the pond waiting for their turn to get water.
However, this water is not clean or safe for drinking. These ponds of sitting water are shared with animals and are used by mosquitoes for breeding. Water sources of this nature increase the risk of water borne diseases such as typhoid fever, as well as increasing the risk of malaria by allowing the reproduction of mosquitoes.
Here at BACOP, we realize the need to improve on WASH (Water and Sanitation Hygiene). In our community, we work to increase awareness through teaching about the need to boil water before using it to drink or cook, to keep water sources clean, and to clear out the surrounding bush.
Additionally, we are continually raising money to build water wells in the communities in the spots where the ponds used to be. By doing this, we are giving them access to safe and clean drinking water and reducing the risks of contamination. With these wells, the water comes from the ground and does not dry out during the dry season.
Our organization has built over 20 wells in nearby communities and we have also provided rain water tanks to schools. Little by little we are trying to fix the water problem in Uganda.
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