Improving Access to Clean Water for Muwanga Rural Community in Uganda

According to UNICEF, dehydration causes 2.2 million deaths worldwide annually, mostly in children under the age of five. Millions more die each year because of water related illnesses, as immune systems are progressively compromised with each bout of diarrhea. In most cases, these deaths would have been prevented by access to clean water and proper sanitation. An estimated six out of every ten rural Ugandans lack access to clean water, and seven out of ten lack adequate sanitation facilities. With poor access to potable water, these communities are susceptible to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery which are major causes of deaths in children.

At present, in Muwanga sub-county kiboga district central uganda, the majority of rural households do not have access to clean drinking water within their village. This is further confirmed by the UBOS reports of 2020 indicating that about 64.3% of the total populations in Muwanga Sub County have no access to safe water, about 2.4% do not have access to toilet facilities and about 47% of the population leave 5 km or more from the nearest health facility. This puts the community in this sub county in a vulnerable situation to disease outbreaks. Again 22% of the households are headed by either children or female, who are vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence as they go looking for water source.

The rural populations draw their water from unprotected springs or swamps located from 300 to 600 meters (328 to 656 yards) from the villages or from hand-dug wells, locally known as (bidiba). The (bidiba) are primitive wells with an average depth of about six meters and with a diameter about the size of a large truck tire and uncovered at the top. The water collected from swamps (bidiba) is used for bathing, washing clothes, cooking and drinking, also shared, by cows, goats, hens and dogs Unfortunately, the shared use of swamps, (bidiba),springs for washing laundry, bathing and cooking is unsanitary and promotes a number of health problems.

According to 2021 clinic data/information obtained from mama Tendo who owns a local clinic here in muwanga,Kigoma Village most of the sick patients she treats suffer from diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery and intestinal stomach aches. This has been so due to poor solid waste disposal at 62% and poor access to toilet facilities rated at 3.3%. The project will therefore aim at achieving the following results:
1) Increased access to safe and clean water of 75 households (translating to 350 people and their livestock)
2) Deepened behavior changes with respect to proper hygiene associated with the safe handling of water and appropriate domestic water storage through behavior change communication strategies.

Muwanga community wishes to adopt innovative and cost-effective interventions to expand access to safe and clean water supply to as many households as possible. One option wished of 1 spring protection Construction which represents a very viable strategy. This is practicable in Muwanga Sub County as it enjoys good rainfall and the springs flow year-round.