busogatrust

Clean Water and Improved Sanitation throughout Uganda

In partnership with

The Rotary Club of Minehead and ​The Rotary Club of Yeovil

Buwooya Alexander Borehole

Completion Report ​June 2024

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Buwooya Alexander village is located in Bugweri District with an estimated population of ​about 554 people the majority of whom are dependent on subsistence farming and a small ​number are involved in commercial agriculture. Due to this set-up, the village has made slow ​progress in terms of economic development. In most parts of the country, there is usually a ​specific type of crop grown by most people living in each area, but this is not the case with ​Buwooya Alexander, there is no clear cash crop for internal trade and the local families grow ​a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

This has left many families without disposable income due to limited internal trade among

households. The economic situation has been further worsened by the loss of soil fertility; for

generations, people have been growing the same crops on their small pieces of land and over

time the yield has reduced tremendously, leaving some homes without enough food.

Map of Buwooya Alexander in Bugweri District.

In the recent past, the government and many development partners had come to believe that ​the operation and maintenance of point water sources is not manageable because of the high ​frequency of breakdowns. The Busoga Trust team through a thorough study identified the ​major reason, and by far the most important, was the quality of parts installed. Most of the ​boreholes which needed serious rehabilitation had been installed with poor-quality pipes ​such as rust-prone galvanised iron and low-quality plastic pipes. Let’s take the example of ​Buwooya Alexander which was installed with Uganda Mark 3 Modified (U3M) plastic pipes ​that kept cracking and breaking each time a repair needed to be done. In fact, the community ​resorted to tying strips of rubber around the pipes to stop the leakage, as shown in the photos ​below.

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If a borehole is installed with high-quality stainless-steel pipes and rods, and supported by a

proper management scheme, it’s possible for it to continue working for many years without

any major repair.

The Buwooya Alexander community couldn’t afford to replace the pipes outright so they ​had improvised by wrapping any cracked pipes with strips of rubber to stop the leakage of ​water.

This project has had an immensely positive impact on the people of Buwooya Alexander and ​the surrounding communities. For starters hygiene and sanitation have improved; households ​that did not have latrines have constructed their own and most of the existing latrines in the ​village have been improved to meet basic latrine standards.

The community has also benefited from our tree planting campaign and beekeeping, but

above all, the borehole has been replaced with new high-quality parts as listed below:

• The poor-quality Uganda Mark 3 Modified (U3M) pumping system was replaced with

durable stainless-steel pipes, rods and cylinder.

• After rehabilitation, the community was introduced to a Water Service Provider (WSP)

who will be responsible for routine maintenance of the water source under the Payment

by Results (PBR) programme.

• The Water User Committee (WUC) was re-trained to oversee the day-to-day running of

the hand pump.

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The plastic pipes and cylinder were replaced with resilient stainless-steel material.

Flowing water after the rehabilitation of the Buwooya Alexander borehole.

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The Busoga Trust believes in a healthy community. They say water is life and sanitation is ​health, in other words, you cannot have safe water with poor sanitation. If household facilities ​such as water storage containers and drinking cups are not clean, the benefits of clean water ​are diminished. To ensure that the clean water provided by the rehabilitated borehole was ​not contaminated after collection, the social team put in extra hours to make sure the ​sanitation profile of Buwooya Alexander improved.

At the beginning of the intervention, a baseline survey was conducted to better understand

the status of the village which later informed the strategy which was employed to trigger

change. Back-and-forth follow-up visits were conducted to target individual households and

make any necessary improvements. Community members were taught about the importance

of handwashing and how to make simple tippy-tap handwashing facilities. The expected

features of a good latrine were emphasised, and community members were introduced to an

effective latrine addon, the Sato Pan, that prevents flies from accessing food and drastically

improves a basic latrine.

A latrine that had a traditional pit cover was replaced with a plastic Sato Pan that ​automatically snaps shut after use, thus preventing flies and bad smells. Tippy-tap ​handwashing facilities were constructed beside each latrine.

Summary of Hygiene and Sanitation Improvements in Buwooya Alexander Village

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For so many years our programme was very much centred on water, sanitation and hygiene. ​However, due to the demand in the communities we serve, beekeeping and tree planting ​have been added to make WASHBET, which in full is Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Bees, and ​Trees. Ever since the two additional components were added, the communities we serve are ​super excited knowing that the future of fruits and trees will help protect the environment ​from strong winds and scorching sun.

Beneficiaries receiving tree seedlings.

An installed beehive delivered by the Busoga Trust.

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The Water User Committee (WUC) in Buwooya Alexander was re-elected and trained to ​oversee the day-to-day running of the hand pump and help in sanitation promotion. However, ​to support the voluntary committee and make sure the maintenance of the water source is ​sustainable, a third-party Water Service Provider (WSP) was introduced to the community, ​who will be responsible for routine maintenance under the Payment by Results (PBR) ​programme. Under this arrangement, a community agreement was signed between the ​Busoga Trust and Buwooya Alexander clearly stating the terms and conditions for both parties ​which includes supporting the WSP to make sure the borehole is operational all the time. The ​WSP will work hand in hand with the committee to see that there is no downtime after ​rehabilitation. The service provider will visit the hand pump on a monthly basis to proactively ​conduct any necessary minor repairs before they can develop into major breakdowns.

The Water User Committee in Buwooya Alexander being taken through the dangers of ​open defecation and how it affects our safe water.

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The borehole was treated to a complete overhaul and installed with new, high-quality ​stainless-steel parts. ​The Water User Committee (WUC) was re-elected and strengthened to manage the

operation of the borehole.

Hygiene and sanitation standards were significantly improved within the village. New

latrines were constructed, and upgrades were encouraged for the existing facilities.

Handwashing facility demonstrations were conducted, and the majority of households

now have a dedicated handwashing facility.

The community enrolled in the Payment by Results (PBR) programme to ensure that the

rehabilitated borehole is sustainably maintained.

Tree planting and beekeeping were introduced to households.

Details of Technical Work

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Meet Jane, a resident of Buwooya Alexander village. ​“I am 41 years old and have lived all my life in this village. It’s very unfortunate that resources

like water are given less priority by decision-makers, both at lower and central governments.

Before Busoga Trust’s intervention, we had tried seeking support from Buyanga Sub-County

in vain. The officer in charge of water kept promising without action; this left us in a very sorry

state as it would take people longer than necessary to pump and fill up a 20-litre jerrycan.

This was brought about by the broken plastic pipes that would not hold water for a minimum

of five minutes after pumping. Therefore, I want to thank Busoga Trust for the timely

intervention and for providing us with high-quality material.”

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“My name is Ismail, a resident of Buwooya Alexander village. Personally, I am a farmer and ​rear a few animals that require water. Without the constant flow of water, my dreams of ​living an average life will be ruined as my animals require plenty of water for milk production. ​Before Busoga Trust’s intervention, it was very difficult to pump and fill 10 jerry cans of water, ​and due to this, sometimes my cows would go without enough water leading to low milk ​production. With the support from Busoga Trust to revamp our community borehole, we shall ​make sure that there is enough money to repair any damage on the facility so that we live our ​dreams.”

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“My name is Stella. I am a beneficiary of the Busoga Trust beekeeping project. I am more than ​delighted to be part of this special initiative that many development partners are not ​providing to the community. For starters, bees are very important because they pollinate ​plants but most importantly produce honey that is rich in nutrients and antibacterial ​properties which help improve health. Of late there are a lot of coughs in the community, I ​believe if every home had a tin of honey this would help treat this illness. With the support of ​Busoga Trust, I want to use this opportunity to produce as much honey as possible so that ​there is enough supply in the community. It will also help me to raise income from the sales. ​Thank you, Busoga Trust.”

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The Buwooya Alexander borehole was completely overhauled, removing the broken plastic ​pipes and installing high-quality stainless-steel parts. This rehabilitation will ensure that the ​borehole continues to function and is easier for the community to maintain. On behalf of the ​Buwooya Alexander community, the Busoga Trust would love to pass a vote of thanks to our ​dear donors at The Rotary Club of Minehead and The Rotary Club of Yeovil for sharing the ​little you have with the needy in Uganda, may God bless the work of your hands.

The plaque installed beside the rehabilitated Buwooya Alexander borehole.

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