Donor: The Huber Family

Located roughly 12km north-west of Masindi town, Kisindizi is a village far more remote than the distance would suggest, by dint of it’s location away from the main arterial routes. The roads to the village are bone-breakingly rough, even in a Land Rover, providing the ultimate “African massage” (a reference to the pounding your body takes in the car).

The village is made up of 94 households who mainly work in agriculture, farming the local land, or work at the local Kisindizi Primary School, situated a kilometer and a half from the village. The school children did have the use of a local government borehole but the handle and pump head from this pump were recently stolen. The school now relies mostly on traditional unprotected water sources

There are two other sources in the vicinity; one a protected spring 2km away in the village of Katugo and the other is an open source near a swamp. The spring provides good water and is well maintained but is the property of Katugo village so Kisindizi residents must pay 100 shillings for each can of water they take from this source. The open source is very dirty and the soils around it are prone to collapse, making it dangerous for those collecting water.

“The water has these small diseases which come out … we have problems with the stomach pain and diarrhea”
- Foste Edringi – Member of the Local Council

The swampy, bushy nature of the surrounding environs also present the ideal habitat for creatures which may harm human health as much as any water borne disease; mosquitoes and snakes. Foste went on to explain to us that;

“We suffer from the malaria and have to travel very far to the health center when anyone is sick …. the swamp is where you find the (black) mambas”

Unfortunately as far as local services go, the school is the best they have, for the nearest health center is 7km away. When children or adults fall ill with malaria, they have to be transported to the health center or wait for a health worker to make a trip out to the village. Naturally this is a dramatic scenario even for the most basic health care.

View the Kisindizi Slideshow

Update:

Water Quality Data Before and After Busoga Trust Intervention

Ecoli organisms per 100 ML

Old Source: 4

BTA Well: 0

Percent Change: -100%

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 standards require Ecoli and similar bacteria be completely absent from 95% of the water samples taken from a system.

Turbidity/NTU

Old Source: 11

BTA Well: 5

Percent Change: -55%

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.