Serves: 400 people 
Completed: April 2023

The following is an excerpt from a project report describing how people collected water from the spring before it was protected:

​“Accessing the pool is very difficult. Community members must climb or slide down the steep bank to the bottom to retrieve water, then lay a collection container sideways in the water to fill it while they balance on rocks. Understandably, it is even more treacherous to climb back out of the cavity with a heavy, full water container, trying hard not to spill the contents, especially during the rainy season when the grass and mud bank become slippery."

Referring to the newly protected spring, Geter Pondi said, "The status of this community has changed due to this new baby we have. He has brought joy, and I feel [my] life has changed."

Completed: February 2023
Serves: Community of 356 households, plus two schools which draw from the surrounding area with a combined enrollment of 1,498 students

From a “Nightmare" to a “Dream"

“It is like a dream, and nobody was expecting such an event to take place within our s­­­­urroundings of launching a borehole because water has been a major problem to our school. The pupils have been walking long distances looking for water to use at school and they have been fetching it from dams, sharing it with animals. Our school is located in cattle corridor areas, which at times experience drought throughout the year, and during such seasons the dams get dried and this has been a challenge to our school. When it comes to preparing pupils’ and teachers’ lunch, it has been a great problem because sometimes they have been missing their meals due to lack of water. Learners have been facing a challenge of thirst during school days and even water they have been receiving from the dams, it has been not good for the health status of our learners.”

—Lawrence Joseph Kizito, head teacher, St. Charles Lwanga Maddu Catholic School

Completed: January 2023
Serves: A community of 216 households, plus two schools which draw from the surrounding area with a combined enrollment of 1,135 students

The community's water source was a pond, which they shared with animals. Located almost two kilometers from St. Michael Primary School, the head teacher said it could take the children almost three hours to make the trip to collect water.

“We are extremely happy because of this clean water source in our midst from our good friends of St. Thérèse Foundation in America. We have been having challenges of illnesses due to using dirty water all the past years. We tried to lobby for a clean water source like this from the government and other charity organizations but failed. Every request was being turned down. That is why we are indeed very grateful to St. Thérèse for responding to our plea, which was rejected by many." 

—Joseph Kalyowa,  community chairman 

Completed: November 2022
Serves: 245 people

Some of Shitirira Community’s 245 people live an hour’s walk from John Murumba Spring, which is their only option for water. This is because John Murumba Spring is the only water point in the area that continues flowing through the dry season.

With multiple trips’ worth of water needed each day, community members can waste an inordinate amount of time just getting the water they need to drink and accomplish daily tasks like cooking and cleaning.

“In my own family, my husband has been taking medicine for typhoid [for] almost one year now without recovering,” said Elizabeth J., 46, a local businesswoman. “He is not recovering. We are using a lot of money on medication.”

In this community, Elizabeth’s story isn’t unique. Nearly every community member who was spoken with mentioned being unable to afford the high costs of medication.

Completed: November 2022
Serves: 200 people

The lines to fetch water at Benson Lumbasi Spring get so long that sometimes people give up and go home. But water is essential for cooking, cleaning, and farming, not to mention drinking and staying alive. With all the time wasted in line, one would hope the water from the spring would at least be of good quality. Instead, it infects community members — especially children and the elderly — with sometimes-deadly infections like cholera and typhoid.

Completed: August 2022
Serves: Community of over 350 families, plus a school with an enrollment of over 600 students from the surrounding communities

Heartbreaking stories from this community shine a light on the dangers faced when collecting water. During dry seasons, children were forced to walk some three miles in order to gather water from the finger-like swamps of Lake Victoria. Ten children from this community were kidnapped and killed in satanic sacrifices. In addition, girls have been raped and children have drowned while collecting water. 

You can imagine the relief and gratitude the people in Kiruddu now have for having a clean water source within the safety of their community. 

“This borehole ... is within the school itself and in the middle of the village and not in the valley where bad people can easily harm our children and nobody sees them. You have helped us to solve most of those problems. Thank you very much. I will not get tired of sending you to convey our sincere thanks to our donors for doing this for us – for providing us with clean and safe water. Tell them again that we, the people of Kiruddu, are so thankful and very happy indeed." – Kiruddu Chairman Patrick Kayiza

Completed: August 2022
Serves: Community of about 950 people, plus a school with an enrollment of 563 students from the surrounding communities

In her speech at the handing-over ceremony, the head teacher, Irene Nalubega, said the children had wasted a lot of time having to wait for the cattle keepers to water their animals before they could draw water for the school and their homes. She also said there was a high risk of children drowning when fetching water from these deep dug ponds.  A child was lost in such an accident last year.
 
“The people of Katega village, including these school children, we have been sharing the dirty pond waters together with cows, goats, stray dogs, and snakes! Thus, with this clean and safe water in our midst, this makes me extremely, extremely, very happy.” – Paul Yiga, Katega village chairperson, at the handing-over ceremony 

Completed: August 2022
Serves: 350 people

“I have used this water source for more than 40 years . . . Sometimes, when [I] am thirsty, when I see the water and imagine the source, the thirst goes away. Now that my grandchildren are suffering because of waterborne diseases, it will be my joy that they access clean and safe water in [the] future.” —Ayub Mwaka

Completed: December 2021
Serves: Community of about 2,200 people, plus a school with an enrollment of more than 1,000 students from the surrounding communities 

Completed: December 2021
Serves: 210 people

Completed: November 2021
Serves a community of about 2,500 people, plus a school with an enrollment of 867 students from the surrounding communities

“Mere words cannot express the joy and happiness we feel deep down within our hearts. For we have been suffering a lot from using dirty water since my childhood, not knowing that one day, God will send us generous and kind people who will save this community from drinking dirty muddy water to clean water. Thank you very, very much.” – Kafundeezi government representative

Completed: October 2021
​Serves: 300 people

Completed: October 2021
Serves: 245 people

Before its protection, goats, dogs, livestock, and snakes would enter the spring, drinking directly from it and leaving their waste.

Completed: September 2021
Serves: 2,000 people

“Apart from saving our children, especially those attending Kanonko Parents Primary School, and women from the long walk of 4.5 kilometers looking for water, you have also saved the entire community and the neighboring villages to use clean and safe water. So, in addition to reducing the distance for the people of Kanonko village, you have also improved our bodily wellbeing, for water is life . . . We as Kanonko community are so blessed to have this borehole within our midst."
         
– Excerpt from village chairperson's speech at borehole dedication ceremony

Completed: June 2021
Serves: 420 people

“This is a great chance and change in this community of ours. We have been facing difficult moments, especially when we are in school. Most of us come from poor backgrounds leading to absenteeism and poor performance as children spend most of their time looking for water and becoming sick due to the unsafe water we take.” – Elizabeth, primary school student

Completed: February 2021
Serves: 350 people

“The process of drawing water is difficult. The spring is open, frogs keep on jumping inside, and you can easily draw water with frogs in it.” – Belinda, a local teenager 

The dedication ceremony was described this way: “The community members sang songs of praise and did dances to glorify God for enabling them to have their spring protected. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day.”  

Completed: December 2020
Serves: 400 people

Despite its poor water quality, Busuku Spring was one of the most reliable year-round water sources in the area, so there was little choice in using its water. Lines developed at the spring every day as people had to wait for the mud in the water to settle between their turns. Crowded conditions often led to conflict.

“My dream has finally come true and we shall now have clean water.”
​– Rose Shangu

“I am so happy that I will no longer fear slipping and falling at the spring, especially during the rainy season.” – Jacklyne, primary school student

Completed: September 2020
Serves: 140 people

“I and my family will take clean, safe water, which will mean we will not suffer from water-related diseases. We will save money that we normally spend in the hospital when looking for treatment. The money will be used to better our lives." – Charity Ingosi, a 21-year-old farmer in the community

Completed: November 2019
Serves: 420 people

​Mothers used to worry about their children’s safety when they collected water. Now, community members can’t believe drawing water from the protected spring is so quick and easy.

In the video below, members of the community express their gratitude and joy. In the second song, they sing that they are standing strong and nobody can threaten them since they now have a voice: “The safe water is here with us.”

Completed: September 2019
Serves: 210 people

Drinking water from this unprotected spring claimed the lives of many community members due to outbreaks of typhoid, diarrhea, and bilharzia. 

“The little money we get mostly goes to the hospital to treat our loved ones. If this spring is protected, all this menace will be curbed and our community will heal." — Mr. Mambili

Date completed: 2/2019
Number served: 214 people
​
“You have really done a great job for this community. I do not have anything to give you that would be equal to the change that you have brought to us.” — Mrs. Atuka