In a community needs survey recently undertaken by BUVAD in Butakoola Village, 64% of the respondents used poor quality water that had many contaminants in it including cow dung.  This water is collected from water holes that are filled during the rain season due to water run off and evaporates during the dry season.  The water is brown in color with a slivery covering on the surface, has a mixture of diseases like bilharzias and typhoid, is hard and salty and neither good for drinking or washing clothes with soap.  The Ssezibwa swamp water source - a last resort during the dry season (6kms away from the main road), has corrosive, saline, red or black colored water. Some people in the dry season buy water (100shs a jerry can at 2,000shs to $1USD) from a local villager that, with the support of her children, set up a hand pump on top of a highland hand dug well using the knowledge adopted from BUVAD’s incomplete community safe water well.  Some pay the same price to use the main road bore hole more than 2kms away.  It is not uncommon to find people whose income is as small as zero shillings or Ushs 5,000 ($2.5 USD) a month, so you might imagine the financial stress buying water puts on a family.  Under normal circumstances a family needs 3-6 jerry cans of water a day, which pushes them to use the other sources despite the poor water quality and distance from home.  Water collection is mostly accomplished by children carrying the cans on their heads.

In the year 2008, BUVAD embarked on fundraising effort for the safe water supply water well project.  With the help of an international volunteer, a well was dug but it has not been completed.  Presently, BUVAD’s number one goal is to raise the funds necessary to complete this well.  The cost to complete this project is less than $2,000USD.

As a strategy to combat the safe water problem in the Sub County, BUVAD intends by 2013 to have constructed 72 hand dug wells in total. That is: nine wells per parish of the eight in Kayunga Sub County.  The estimated cost of each well using community labor is less than $3,500 USD.  BUVAD has scouted locations and is able to begin the nine wells in Butakoola Village immediately upon funding.

BUVAD will gladly accept donations of any kind for well construction while we seek long-term funding and partnerships with international non-profits enabling us to complete the entire project.  More details can be found on our donation page.

BUVAD welcomes those volunteer groups who come with funding and labor to dig wells.  Many locations for future wells are already established and your work could begin today.  You will have plenty of help from community members.

BUVAD also seeks short-term volunteers who would be interested in setting up and implementing workshops teaching better Sanitation skills.  The community is well aware of the need for this and there would be many willing participants.   Please see our volunteer page for details.