Help Improve Water Quality in Busia.

The challenge: Busia families are confronted with an acute water supply shortage. People struggle to access safe clean running water in the quantity and quality they need for drinking, cooking, bathing, handwashing, and growing food. Family members spend hours every day walking long distances to collect water. This has many adverse effects: walking to collect water keeps children out of school, makes women vulnerable to sexual assault, and takes up time that parents could spend earning money. Additionally, people share contaminated water sources with livestock which leads to significant health risks. According to the BBC, diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence including war. Every 21 seconds a child will die due to contracting a water-borne disease.

In response: The 6-month project will have two primary activities: 1) Improvement of natural spring wells to ensure a safe supply of water and reduce the distance to water sources. We will adapt two water outlets to allow water flow from the natural spring well where community members can fetch water. 2) Increasing community awareness about the dangers of using contaminated water and the need for proper hygiene and sanitation to maintain good health.

Target group: Six households, each with approximately six family members that translates into 60 people.

Long-term project impact:

• More time to grow food and earn income.
• Girls will spend more time in school and be engaged in other activities
• Improved class attendance rate.
• Increased school enrolment rates.
• Lives saved.