The first water points launched through the SCIF Safe Water project in Uganda have been operational since August 2023. Members of the SCIF team, together with our partners from WaterAid Uganda and district officials visited communities to find out what has changed since the water points have opened.
The community meetings were advertised in advanced to ensure that as many members of the community as possible could attend. The feedback the SCIF team received was overwhelmingly positive. All water points are fully functional, teething issues experienced at some of the locations had been resolved promptly and the borehole engineers confirmed that all pumps were working well, and water levels and quality were good. The SCIF Safe Water project ensures water quality tests are carried out at each source on a bi-annual basis and more often where needed.
The meetings were all well attended, including by members of the water user committees, village heads, district officials, as well as women, young people and other groups.
Nantedeg Devoah, who lives in Kyewanula, where one of the SCIF water points is located was happy to speak about the changes she had noticed since the source had been installed.
“We are happy to have the borehole and it’s been working well. Previously, we had to fetch water from the swamp where cattle also drink. A lot of people in the area are now using the new source and it gets pretty busy.”
During the community meeting close to Kabayanda Health Centre primary health care centre serving Lwamahungu and a neighbouring village, Magezi Aloysius, the in-charge of the facility was able to report positive changes since the installation of the motorised water point. The village health teams had reported a marked decline in requests for oral rehydration solution, used to treat anyone experiencing diarrhoea. A similar decrease in diarrheal occurrence was also reported by staff of the health centre in Kyamuliwa.
The SCIF team is working together with researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as well as the MRC Unit Uganda to get a full picture of the difference the new water points are having on people’s health and wellbeing.
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