|
 |
What we do Most rural people
have to drink polluted water. Disease flourishes in conditions
like these, resulting in high infant mortality and poor quality of
life.
The Busoga Trust is an organisation which
seeks to provide clean water sources in rural areas of Uganda. For
over 20 years we have concentrated our efforts in the districts of
Busoga, and Luwero where over 6 million people live. More recently, we
have started work in other parts of the country.
We aim to eradicate the problems caused by polluted water
by installing wells, boreholes and water catchments which provide
clean water to the people. Construction is overseen by trained
engineers but for the most part the work is done by the local
community.
By the end of 2005, in total, we had constructed nearly 1200 clean
water sources. Each source provides for an average of 500 people, so
over half a million people now benefit from clean water provided by
the Trust.
What can YOU do?
To install a clean, protected well in Uganda costs about £2500,
including administration and overhead costs. Over the years, the Trust
has sought to find income from government (UK and Uganda), the
European Union and from partners in schools and churches.
There is still a huge amount of work to be done. We aim to
provide clean water to all areas, to all people without exception, in
order to raise the quality of life for people, the majority of whom
have very little.
|
If you would like to get involved with the work we are doing in
Uganda, whether you have skills to offer, or you would like to make a
donation please click here |
Where does our money come from?
In 2000, the British Government changed its policy on funding through
its Department for International Development (DFID). Since then it has
concentrated on support to government rather than to Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs). As a result we have not received any direct
funding from DFID since, and we are now reliant upon the generosity of
schools, churches, grant-making trusts and individuals.
Within Uganda, we are able to bid for government-let contracts, many of
which are funded by money released by debt relief. We have been
successful with a number of bids in Busoga, Luwero and elsewhere, but
a significant proportion of our income still comes from UK donations.
Our recent track record In 2003, the Trust completed 61 large water
sources - hand-dug wells, motorised (drilled) wells and boreholes,
protected springs, rain-water harvesting and gravity flow schemes. 60
smaller domestic rain-water harvesting schemes were also completed. In
all, clean water for over 30,000 people.
2004 was another year of very good progress for the Trust. 70
community water schemes were constructed, 59 of them through the
efforts of the team based in Jinja. As well as completing programmes
in Busoga and Luwero, our main operational areas, work was also
carried out in Kumi, Palisu, Sironko, Mbale, Tororo and Mukono, giving
us a national profile.
2005 saw 102 new sources completed – clean water with health education
for 500,000 more people. In addition, 59 old community sources in need
of repair were re-habilitated enabling a further 30,000 to get back
into the practice of drinking clean water.
2006 has seen the completion of a pilot scheme in northern
Tanzania partnering ZAO, a company based in North Carolina, USA. To
find out more about this exiting new development go to
www.zaowater.com.
Photographs by Robin Waugh.
see gallery |
