Borehole Brings Unity to a Ugandan Village
Access to sufficient and safe water is a basic human right. The essence of life, water plays an integral role in daily life; we drink it, we cook with it, we wash in it: Human lives and livelihoods depend on water for survival. But, for many individuals living in Uganda, their right to water is not being met, and the consequences of this are tremendous and terrible.
For those who are managing to access clean water, this often comes at a cost. The education of a child may be sacrificed as the two kilometer walk to fetch water cannot be accomplished before the school bell rings. For women, the daily investment of time to collect water impacts upon their productive activity; less time to spend harvesting crops, chopping firewood, caring for children, preparing meals.
For those who cannot collect sufficient clean water, the costs can be even more far-reaching and serious. Families must often resort to collecting water from a stagnant pool or dirty stream. Drinking and cooking with contaminated water can lead to life-threatening diseases such as diarrhoea, bilharzia and cholera. Once a family member is sick, already limited funds must be spent on medicines. Children miss school, parents cannot work, household income decreases, food cannot be bought. Families go hungry.
The community of Ogo River, a village in northern Uganda, has been struggling with all these issues. In March 2008, the villagers finally felt it safe enough to leave the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, in which they had been forced to live for six years due to civil war, and return home. But, happy as they were to be back in their village, rebuilding their lives has not been easy. Accessing safe water was a daily struggle. Collecting water from the distant borehole took several hours, so villagers often resorted to using dirty river water. As a consequence of drinking dirty water, many villagers got sick and fifteen died of water-related diseases in a matter of months.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) identified this village as being in need of support, and recently drilled a borehole for the village. With unlimited, easily-accessible, clean and safe water, the lives of the villagers have been transformed. The whole community has noticed significant health improvements, and there have been no more water-related deaths. Women have more time to spend in the home and working the garden, and children now have time both to collect water and reach school before the bell rings. The new supply of water has also boosted the village's crop production so both household nutrition and income has improved.
Since the borehole, the whole community of Ogo River has also become more united. Before the borehole installation, water collection often caused conflict in the community, "There was so much waiting in line, it caused much struggle and fighting", remembers villager Rose Ojede, "But now the conflict is gone, and the borehole is a place of unity. We help one another now".
LWF has taken every step possible to ensure the sustainability of the borehole. A Water User Committee has been established, responsible for ensuring the borehole remains in good condition, villagers pay a small fee to cover the cost of any repairs needed, and a pump mechanic has been trained.
The villagers of Ogo River still have a long way to go. Rebuilding the lives they once had will take time. But having now escaped the confines of the IDP camp, they are heading in the right direction. The new borehole has taken them a step closer to fulfilling their dream of living healthier, happier, and more self-sufficient lives. "As God said, 'Water is life'", says villager Simon Ogwang, "And our new borehole has given us new life and new hope for the future."
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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