Earlier this month the Busoga Trust was blessed with a visitor from one of our longest serving donors, St. Matthew’s and St. Nathanael’s Church, Bristol, UK. This generous community have been donating to Busoga Trust of around 30 years. Our team took their representative, Deborah Tomkins, to visit a project in Buwongolya, Kamuli that their funding was used for. This project is part of our Payment by Results programme. Deborah has written about her day in the field:-
“My church, St Matthew and St Nathanael in Bristol (St Matt’s and Nat’s for short!), has been supporting The Busoga Trust for many years. My daughter is currently working in Jinja, where the Trust’s head office is situated, so it seemed an ideal opportunity while visiting her for me to find out about the projects we have supported.
I was warmly welcomed by Johnson, the Country Manager, and then taken on a trip out into the countryside in Kamuli District, to visit a well that St Matt’s has funded, and which was dug in 2016. I felt honoured to be accompanied by several members of staff: Moses, Immaculate, and Callum (intern), as well as our driver Emmanuel.
The well is deep in the countryside, up a tiny track surrounded by vegetation. Some village people appeared as I was testing the pump and filling a jerrycan brought by a very small boy, and we were able to speak together a little and take some photographs. They are delighted with their well and pump and its abundant fresh water, and are keeping it in extremely good condition. Moses explained to me that the Trust is encouraging villages to regularly save money against the upkeep and future repair of their well, and this new scheme is proving effective.
We also visited one of the oldest wells and pumps, alongside a main road, near Iganga. Many of the surrounding houses are supplied with piped water, but this well serves some 50 households who still need to collect water every day. I spoke to a young man who says he and his sisters come several times a day. I was also able to speak to a member of the local committee (about 7 members) who are in charge of the well’s upkeep - and this well too is kept in good condition. When we arrived it was surrounded by people waiting to fill their jerrycans.
It was a very interesting and indeed educational day. I will be reporting back to our church in a few weeks’ time. Other wells we have supported are too far away for a day visit. It was a privilege to be out in the field for a few hours with such dedicated people from The Busoga Trust."
