Donor: Richard Adams

Our Kihonda well was completed in July of 2008 and is today providing clean water for this village.

Kihonda is located 25 km North West Masindi Town. While located relatively close, the two communities couldn’t be further apart in terms of access to clean drinking water. Kihonda currently has no clean water source as a borehole located in the village has not functioned for many years. The 250 households in the village are left with two options; either walk over 3 km to the village of Walyoba, or collect water from an open source located at the bottom of a steep valley. Either choice is a time consuming and physically demanding daily routine that the woman and children of Kihonda must endure. Our tests on the open source yielded an Ecoli count of 1300 per litre. Turbidity (a measure of cloudiness) measured 7 NTU.

Lack of clean water is not the only challenge facing the citizens of Kihonda. Busoga Trust’s baseline survey revealed alarmingly low household latrine coverage (37%) and hand washing facilities in use (24%). The combination of no functional water source, poor hygiene practice and limited sanitation facilities make Kihonda a community that can benefit significantly from Busoga Trust’s efforts. Our emphasis on community ownership and maintenance, and persistence in our approach, will be critical to success in this village.

“We have poor water facilities that are not good for drinking; we are likely to get some diseases mostly diarrhea and malaria. We have open sources; the nearest source is in a valley. When it rains the wash off enters the open source and contaminates it. The open water sources are shared with animals also”

Comments gained from a group discussion with Kihonda water user committee.

View the Kihonda Photo Gallery

Update:

Water Quality Data Before and After Busoga Trust Intervention

Fecal Coliforms (E. coli) organisms per 100 ML

Old Source: 130

BTA Well: 10

Percent Change: -92%

E. coli is a fecal bacteria which causes diarrhea, violent stomach cramps, and fever. It can be transmitted through contaminated food or water. US EPA water standardsrequire Ecoli and similar bacteria be completely absent from 95% of the water samples taken from a system.

Turbidity/NTU

Old Source: 7

BTA Well: 0

Percent Change: -100%

Turbidity is a measure of water clarity; it is an indicator of how much solid mass (silt, sand, clay, algae) and potentially disease-causing organisms a water source contains. Turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units.  In the United States, the allowable standard is 1 NTU; Uganda strives for a turbidity level of less than 15 NTU.

Baseline Survey Data Before and After Busoga Trust Intervention

Providing clean water only goes so far to prevent disease from affecting rural communities.  Proper hygiene and sanitation practices in combination with clean water are essential to improving health. That is why, when Busoga Trust installs a water source in a village, we conduct health sensitizations focusing on changing the behavior and practices employed by the community. Baseline surveys are carried out by Busoga Trust staff preceding and following our interventions to assess impact. Listed below are statistics from Kihonda village.

Open Defecation:  When open defecation is practiced in communities, it poses a tremendous threat to good health. Fecal matter is the primary mode of disease transmission and can also easily infect open water sources. The reduction of open defecation in a community is critical to improve sanitation and hygiene levels.

Pre-Intervention: 26 %

Post-Intervention: 8%

Percent Change: -69.23%

Partial Pit Latrine: The use of a pit latrine is significantly improved location for defecation. Waste is contained in underground pits, preventing it from contaminating public areas.  A partial pit latrine has an incomplete outer structure which is not ideal, but it is a vast improvement on open defecation.

Pre-Intervention: 36%

Post-Intervention: 51%

Percent Change: 41.67%

Complete Pit Latrine- A complete pit latrine is an underground pit for waste storage with walls and a roof for privacy. This is also important for vector control; a complete outer structure helps prevent insects and rodents from getting into the latrine and spreading disease.

Pre-Intervention: 37%

Post-Intervention: 42%

Percent Change: 13.51%

Bath Shelter-  Bath shelters are important for privacy, but they are also vital to the control of mosquitoes, as stagnant water left on the ground creates an environment where these vectors can thrive. A bath shelter with a soak pit helps to eliminate this problem.

Pre-Intervention: 26%

Post-Intervention: 51%

Percent Change: 96.15%

Rubbish Pit- The construction of rubbish pits are important for controlling flies and keeping bacteria off of the ground in the village compound. It is also important that the pit is surrounded by a fence so that children cannot fall in.

Pre-Intervention: 23%

Post-Intervention: 51%

Percent Change: 121.74%

Kitchen- In order to keep smoke out of the home, Busoga Trust encourages people in the village to use a different structure for cooking. This helps to eliminate respiratory and eye problems, particularly in women.

Pre-Intervention: 60%

Post-Intervention: 70%

Percent Change: 16.67%

Drying Rack- People in the village often store clean dishes on the ground, so they are taught that using a drying rack is the best way to keep bacteria and animal feces off of their dishes and out of their food.

Pre-Intervention:38%

Post-Intervention: 53%

Percent Change: 39.47%