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Busoga is an ancient Kingdom in Uganda, comprised of several administrative districts. It is hemmed in by water, with the Nile its western boundary, Lake Victoria its southern and Lake Kyoga its northern.  It has as its capital the former colonial town of Jinja, which still retains a strong expat community of Europeans, South Africans, Americans and Asians. The town suffered heavily under the Amin regime, when many of the Asian community were evicted, leaving the industries and companies without effective management.

Despite the amount of water surrounding the region, the level of drinking water is minimal. Much of it lies on the surface and is contaminated by faecal matter, deposited through open defecation,  washed in by rain. The scarcity of safe resources is compounded by the sheer demand; Busoga is one of the most densely populated areas of Uganda and one of the poorest. According to Presidential candidate, Dr Kiiza Besigye, ‘Busoga is the headquarters of poverty in Uganda’. One of the greatest barriers to escaping poverty is ill health and one of the leading causes of ill health is water related disease.

Busoga Trust derives its name from the region in which it was founded, in 1982, as part of the Diocese’s Multi Sectoral Rural Development Programme. Since that time, we have constructed over 900 sources in the region. Our first source constructed in 1984 is still pumping water to this very day, 27 years after it was installed.  We also pioneered the use of Home Improvement Campaigns as a Trust staple within this project area. So today, in Busoga you won’t have to go far to find a village that has a Busoga Trust well, spring, water tank, latrines, hand washing facilities or who have listened to our WASH radio shows.

This project area is currently managed by Chris Bodimeade, who combines the role of Project Area Manager with that of Liaison Officer. He is ably supported by a team including a dedicated financial administrator, community development officers and technical supervisors.