Location: Kigumba Sub County, Masindi District

Population: Approximately 1500

Pump Installed: December 16, 2009

Donor: The Deerfield Foundation

Mpumwe is a sprawling village with crop covered hills and occasional rock formations poking out of the ground.  Although it looks sparsely populated, roughly 250 households comprise the community.  Over an hour’s drive from Masindi town, Mpumwe doesn’t attract much attention and has limited or no access to a number of services.  Access to clean water is one of the major problems encountered by the community.  The closest source of clean water is a borehole in a neighboring village which is over 2 kilometers away for most residents of Mpumwe.  When asked by Busoga Trust staff , a local woman claimed that it takes roughly one hour to walk back and forth to the borehole.  She also mentioned that it’s typical to spend over an hour waiting in line to fill a jerry can, bringing the total time for water collection to over two hours. Even worse is that one trip will likely only provide 20 liters of water (1 jerry can).  This is miniscule compared to the needs of a family, requiring multiple trips to the source.  The average American uses roughly 466 liters of water per day and all you have to do to access it is turn on a tap!

Because of the distance and physical exertion involved with collecting clean water, many people revert to getting water from open sources which are close by.  The water in these pools is brown with a rust colored gunk floating on top.  It is apparent immediately that this is water you do not want to drink, yet the residents of Mpumwe have little choice.   Busoga Trust seeks to provide another choice.  Following the construction of a protected and clean water source people will no longer be destined to suffer from intestinal pains, worms and diarrhea which come from consuming contaminated water.  Mpumwe’s inhabitants, particularly children, will benefit from a healthy supply of water for years to come.

Well Data

Depth:  18 ft

Water Column:  11 ft

Recharge Rate:  7.5 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.

A Young Girl Collects Water in Mpumwe

Accessing Clean Water in Mpumwe

View Pictures of Mpumwe