Donors: The Sabino Family, Shari Mattern, Anne Marie Collins, Vince Formato, Jon Kramer, Andrew Hostetler, Randy Diamond, Kathleen Kufs, Patrick O’Connell, Niki O’Connor, Nelson Barriocanal, Laurence Blumberg, Jessica Whitt, Phyllis & Adam Kurzer, Mike Matson, Lois & Marc Backon, Shavonne Johnson, Rachael Cooper, Ledice Sweeney, Alan Leist, Robert Young, David Garrett, Mandi Jennings

While Kyakamese village is only a short 10 miles from Masindi town, there is a dramatic juxtaposition between the very rural nature of this village and the busy trading center it nestles close to.

Kyakamese is home to over 400 people living in around 65 households. It is different from many Masindi villages in that the houses are set far apart, swathes of bush and trees in between each home. This layout makes the village very attractive but also makes the logistics of basic living more challenging. Central resources such as schools and health centers may be located close to the peripheries of the village but the village center is still 2km from the nearest school and 1.5km from the nearest health center.

Most villagers, rely on a local traditional spring for their water. Kyakamese is an industrious village and its people work to keep the spring and its pool tidy and to divert rainwater away from it. Still it has a deep brown color (see photos) and local health officials report cases of typhoid, diarrhea and other water related illnesses. A few villagers can afford the 1000 shilling per week fee and 2km trek to buy water from a neighboring village but not many. There also are a few abandoned and vandalized wells in the region which underscore the importance of BTA’s long term and community based approach and its use of durable and locally maintainable technologies.

Snakes are common in this area and frequent the watering holes. Since we started work in Kyakamese our staff encountered two large dark colored snakes (suspected cobras or mambas). By clearing brush from around its well sightings, BTA lowers risk to the water collectors (often children) of encountering one of these creatures. A poisonous snake bite requires treatment at the central municipal hospital and can lead to a stay of several days for the child.

The Kyakamese villagers completed their contribution of brick and other materials to the Busoga Trust project last month and our construction work in this village just began recently.

Click Below to View Village Slideshow

Well Data

Depth:  21 ft

Water Column:  6 ft

Recharge Rate:  15 ft/hr

The water column is the height of the water within the well or the distance between the water table and the bottom of the well.  The recharge rate is a measurement of how quickly the well refills after water is removed.

Water Quality Data Before and After Busoga Trust Intervention

Fecal Coliforms (E. coli) per 100 ML

Old Source: 5

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

Turbidity/NTU

Old Source: 51

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.