Donors: Richard Bayles, Andrea Bici, Thomas Grant, Michael Ferry, Ellen and Dave Harmon, Barbara Huber, Dan and Jill Jarmel, Ruth and Larry Oshin, Tanya and Paul Preisser, Karen and Chris Retzler, Eleanor Yu

We are thrilled to report the completion of our first well project in the village of Kyababyara. The well was completed early in June and the hand pump was installed on Friday the 13th of June. The well is 23ft deep with a 2ft layer of aggregate filter at the bottom and a 9ft water column. The recharge rate of the well is very good with only 30 minutes to refill the well to a depth of 3ft. The next step in Kyababyara is the initiation of a ‘home improvement campaign’ to build more pit latrines and promote better sanitation practices in the village. We also plan to collect more data on the well itself, its water quality and the impact the new water source has on life in Kyababyara.

Located 30km North West of Masindi town, in Kyatiri parish, Kyababyara village is a collection of 129 households sprawled over rolling hills and down into swampy valleys. Residents of Kyababyara survive through subsistence farming growing staple crops like cassava, beans and maize and selling what little excess they have at local markets.

Despite having a large population (549) Kyababyara has no primary or secondary school. Children who do attend school do so 3km away in Kibibira, a neighboring village. The inhabitants of these two villages share the only clean water source in the area, a hand pump located in the trading centre of Kyababyara. The source is rusting and poorly maintained but is the only reliable source of clean water for over 2000 people in the surrounding area.

The new Busoga Trust well is located on the opposite side of Kyababyara village and should have a very positive impact on these two villages. We expect it to lesson reliance on the existing protected and open sources in and around the village and reduce the distance traveled and time spent by woman and children retrieving water. One open source tested in our January 2008 baseline survey yielded an Ecoli count of 5400 per litre. Turbidity (a measure of cloudiness) measured 75 NTU.

“It is very bad [the water], we don’t see what is there and it is very smelly. When we take sometimes we feel sick, the small children ourselves…… diarrhoea comes”

Comments describing Pakia open source in Kyababyara from Orombi Vinansio a member of the village water user committee.

View the Kyababyara Photo Gallery

Water Quality Data Before and After Busoga Trust Intervention

Fecal Coliforms (E. coli) per 100 ML

Old Source: 500

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 E. coli and similar bacteria be completely absent from 95% of the water samples taken from a system.

Turbidity/NTU

Old Source: 75

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 are the statistics from Kyababyara 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: 50 %

Post-Intervention: 16.7%

Percent Change: -66.6%

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: 22%

Post-Intervention: 21.6%

Percent Change: -1.82%

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: 28%

Post-Intervention: 61.6%

Percent Change: 120%

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: 28%

Post-Intervention: 40%

Percent Change: 42.86%

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: 13%

Post-Intervention: 49%

Percent Change: 276.92%

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: 21%

Post-Intervention: 70%

Percent Change: 233.33%

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:12%

Post-Intervention: 69%

Percent Change: 575%