THE WATER CRISIS
The water crisis is massive, and clean water plays a crucial role in combating poverty. But it is possible to help a rural community desperately in need by sponsoring a water supply.
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| Contaminated Water Source |
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| School Children Walking Long Distance Searching For Water. |
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| Broken Community Borehole Lacking Fund To Be Fixed. Yumbe District, Uganda |
SUMMARY
Without maintenance funds, perfectly good water wells fall into disrepair, and rural Ugandan women and children are forced to again walk miles to collect often contaminated surface water. Refurbishing these wells, often simply by replacing broken pump hardware, profoundly changes the villagers' lives by giving them the basic human right of safe, clean water. People's health improves immediately when they stop using contaminated water sources. Please support safe, clean water for the people.
CHALLENGE
Water wells that tap deep aquifers are a lifesaver for rural villagers in developing countries because the alternative is to collect domestic water supplies from essentially mud puddles often shared with animals. In many instances, perfectly functional wells were built, but over time they fell into disrepair. Without a maintenance fund, and without Water User Committees to manage the resource, the wells became useless to the local villagers.
SOLUTION
Raamos Development Forum will use funds from this crowdfunder to replace broken hardware with new and reliable pumps and pipes that will bring existing water wells back to life. Raamos Development Forum will help villagers help themselves by forming Water User Committees to manage the water resource, including collecting reasonable user fees to build up a maintenance fund to pay for future repairs. Immediately people's health improves from groundwater that is safe from waterborne pathogens, like cholera.
LONG-TERM IMPACT
Women will save hours per day previously spend searching for water, giving them the time and opportunity to start or develop entrepreneurial businesses. Family livelihoods improve from the new sources of income and because health care expenses drop when waterborne diseases become rare. Children, and particularly girl children, will spend more time in school, giving hope for the future. Women are required to be members of the Water User Committee so they are empowered within the community.
PROJECT OUTCOMES FOR THE COMMUNITY
● Access to clean drinking water changes everything
Accessibility Improves Community Wellbeing
Our programs reduce the distance to clean, safe water to an average of 300 to 500 metres closer to rural community homesteads which improves community wellbeing
Community Health Improves
Access to clean water reduces the incidence of water-borne illnesses such as typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera, especially among children under 12 years. Young children die from dehydration and malnutrition, resulting from diarrheal diseases that could be prevented by clean water and proper hygiene.
Education Outcomes Improves
There is an expected increase in school enrolment and retention among girls as the burden of water collection is relieved, improving education outcomes.
Household Economies Improves
Community socioeconomic outcomes improve as household money is saved on medical expenses. An expected average of 2 hours is saved every day on water collection, especially by women, which can be used for productive work and economic development.
Gender Equality
Access to clean water improves gender equality as women are relieved from travelling long distances to collect water. The burden of water collection is typically tasked to women and children, who can travel up to 4 hours every day, many kilometres from where they live. In addition, women are prevented from doing income-generating work or girls attending school, as most of their day is often spent walking miles for their daily water needs.
