Glastonbury Pilgrimage Association

Uganda 6010

THE MASINDI PROJECT

Feedback Report

2007/2008

 

 

Project Details:

 

Location: Masindi

Local Partner: Masindi District Local Government

 

Background:

Uganda is a landlocked country on the equator between the East African and the Central African Rift Valleys. After years of political instability, an elected government came to power in 1986 and since this time great progress has been made in Uganda's development. However, the country is still desperately poor, the majority of people are dependent on agriculture and close to half of the population still live without a safe water supply. There is much to achieve, especially in terms of health and basic services. To aid progress, decision making and financial control are being decentralised to district governments.

WaterAid began working in Uganda in 1983 and by 1992 a country office was set up in the capital Kampala. Initially, with no viable partners to work with, WaterAid carried out project work alone. However, political stability has allowed non governmental organisations (NGOs) to re-emerge and WaterAid has changed its approach to support and develop local partner organisations to implement projects. More recently, the decentralisation of government has meant that we have re-focused our support at the district level.

Northern Uganda has remained peaceful over the reporting period and slow progress is still being made in the government and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel talks. Analysts are stressing the importance of a two-track strategy - long-term redevelopment and strengthening the peace negotiations (described as "moving in the right direction, although core issues such as justice, security and livelihoods, remained unresolved and requiring ‘difficult’ decisions"). Fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has also displaced thousands of people into Uganda; they generally come and go across the border, but as time goes on, more refugees are opting to stay in the country under the care of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The environmental vulnerability of Uganda was realised this year with devastating effect. Flash floods swept across northern and eastern Uganda and have damaged tens of thousands of houses and hundreds of schools, leaving at least 400,000 people affected. The floods have destroyed sanitation facilities, preventing over 289 affected schools from reopening, and putting water supplies at risk. The UN and other humanitarian agencies have mustered a strong response; supplying food aid and water purification aids by boat, plane and helicopter. These floods have affected WaterAid’s programme in parts of Uganda but there are no reports of any negative effects on the project that you are funding.

 

Setting the Scene:

Masindi geographical area is mainly suitable for agriculture and cattle rearing with about 25% of the land under protected area (forest and game reserves) and issues around usage of this land still remain a contentious issue. 10% is owned by large land lords, 20 % for free range grazing, leaving about 40% for small household cultivation and this has had implications on the balance between water for domestic use verses water for production and a whole host of other Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) issues. The influx of displaced people into the district has put more pressure on the land and water supply infrastructure. The safe water coverage is estimated at 49.5%, and latrine coverage is at 38%.

The Masindi district support programme seeks to implement/operationalise key national sector policies, frameworks, or guidelines like the sector performance monitoring framework, the Operation and Maintenance framework, the sanitation guideline to demonstrate their relevance and the practicality of applying them. This will provide valuable experiences to inform reviews or wider applications of the policies, frameworks, or guidelines. The programme will also support community projects to develop models for effective monitoring of water and sanitation service delivery as well as sustainable approaches to mapping solutions

Project Objectives:

To improve sanitation facilities and hygiene practices in Masindi district.

To improve safe water coverage in Masindi district.

To establish a functional district based Operation and Maintenance (O&M) system which will ensure that water and sanitation facilities in the district are well maintained over the coming years

Project Outputs:

Hygiene and Sanitation coverage improvement. At least 150 latrines constructed leading to a 3% increase in latrine district coverage from that of 38%. With a total of 2000 people served.

· At least 14 rainwater harvesting systems constructed.

· Poor households identified and given priority to have demonstrations for Rain water Tanks set up.

· 10 boreholes rehabilitated/repaired

· 22 Hand Pump Mechanics and 3 county water officers (from local government) trained

· Water User Committees re-established and trained in the maintenance and management of water facilities.

· Community based groups trained, equipped and supported in promotion of hygiene and sanitation.

 

This project began in early 2007 and already WaterAid and it’s partner is progressing well.

Project Progress to date:

12 rainwater harvesting systems were constructed.

All pump mechanics have been trained and are continuing to submit monthly action reports

2 community groups of Kyakakyi Sun Light and Alinaitwe womens’ groups have been established in Ntoma and Kijunjubwa villages respectively to support Rainwater Harvesting (RWH)

Voices from the Community:

Sila Adeke (pictured) who recently benefited from a project similar to the one that is being supported by GPA. She describes what life used to be like:

"The water from the old source was too dirty! We had no option but to drink it. We used to get up in the morning to fetch water only to find that dogs and animals had been drinking it, making the area around it muddy. The water contained small worms. Before there was sanitation education here people used to go to the toilet around here and their faeces would wash in.

People in my family would get sick, the children would get worms. We would go to the hospital to be treated but we would still have to drink the same water so it would happen all over again. We all fell sick on rotation in my family. One person would get ill, followed by another.

 

The distance from my house to the old source is around two kilometres. I used to get a headache collecting water from there because it was a long walk in the sun. I would sometimes have to wait a long time before my turn came to take water from the hole. I have no shoes and the walk was very painful, through all the bushes. I used to try to put a saucepan of food on the fire before I went, to save time. By the time I got back home with water the food would often be burnt.

Now the situation is very different because we now have safe water. The borehole is much closer to my home so I can fetch more water than before. Washing clothes is so easy now and can be done at any time of day. The rate of illness is much lower. We don’t have diarrhœa or worms any more.

Now days you can drink the water and you feel the softness in your throat. It is clean, clear, the taste and smell are good. It only takes one minute to fill a can so I can collect more than before."

Your support is making a real difference to the people of the Masindi district – Thank You

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