Local Partner: World Harvest Mission

Local Partner Director: Michael Masso

Area Served:  Bundibugyo District, Western Uganda

Program Goal:  To provide clean water district wide.

Program Services Provided: 150 individual water tap stands constructed and collection tanks serving 11 sites in the main town of Nyahuka

Number of Program Beneficiaries: 30,000 individuals

Current Needs: Funding to continue GPS mapping of district and water tap stands. Funding for training of water project workers.

Program Summary:
This project was co-sponsored by UNICEF with generous contributions from Bread & Water for Africa^®_.  The pipeline begins in the Ruwenzori Mountains on the Ngite River in Western Uganda near the base of a beautiful 400-foot waterfall. It is a gravity flow water supply pipeline that stretches 30km and serves a population of about 30,000. The total infrastructure includes 150 tap stands, 7 reservoir tanks and serves 7 primary schools, 2 secondary schools and 2 health centers. It provides a continual, filtered source of clean water to many villages and the main town of Nyahuka.
    
The main system is complete and operational and is in the hands of a community-based committee, which is responsible for its operation and maintenance. Currently, the project continues to work to extend water to nearby villages not connected to the main system and on installing dedicated water lines to schools and health centers. The importance of a constant and clean water supply is especially crucial to health centers. Nyahuka Health Centre is a recent recipient of a new dedicated water line direct from the main reservoir tanks, after regular interruptions to its water, due to the increased demand from the ever-growing population of the town. The water project has had a huge impact on the quality of life and health of many people of Bundibugyo district, Western Uganda.

As important as providing clean water to the people in the area is ensuring the sustainability of the project. It is important that there be trained technicians with access to spare parts and tools to maintain the water system, and it is important that the community develop a system to fund the operation and maintenance activities.