Glossop Rotary Club have to contribute to raising at least $30,000 which will provide 1000 water supplies (supplying 5000 people) for the KoSovo slum in Rubaga, Kampala, Uganda. This is a joint project with the Rotary Club of Rubaga who will be raising matching funds to our own.
Project Outline
To provide mains water supplies to 1000 families who live in KosOvo slum and surrounding areas of Kampala, to reduce water born disease burden, improve economic prosperity and reduce abuse of children. Working in partnership with CEFOVID (local NGO in KosOvo slum) and Helping Uganda Schools(HUGS)
Cost £30,000
Details
Helping Uganda Schools (HUGS) is working in partnership with a Ugandan NGO called CEFOVID (Community Empowerment for Village Development) in order to improve the health and wellbeing of some of the poorest people who live in capital city of Kampala. HUGS, initially, became involved to improve the education of children in the KosOvo slum, but became aware of extremely high level of illness which reduced school attendance by approximately 10%. In every school year a child from the KosOvo slum will miss a month of education due to illness. The most prevalent illness is gastroenteritis. This changed our focus to improve sanitation and drinking water in order to create better educational opportunities.
The Kosovo slum, is home to approximately 33,000 people of which 50% are children. A quarter live in female headed households, and there are many refugees from neighbouring countries. There has been inadequate investment in infrastructure in this area by state officials and water supplies are managed by private companies who charge connection fees and rent. The slum is built on low lying land and is prone to flooding which causes problems with leakage from open or shallow pit latrines, faecal contamination of surface water and spread of disease.
The public health statistics for this area are concerning:
- 2/3 of residents do not have access to private sanitation
- On average 7 households share one toilet
- 21% of residents consider their drinking water unsafe
- 40% of people obtain their water from ground springs (not taps)
- Average household income is £25 per week of which £5 is spent on medical care
(source https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/agora_uga_neighborhood_profile_kosovo_26072018.pdf)
CEFOVID, have been working with the residents of the slum for the past six years with a range of projects, focused on creating opportunity and reducing the burden of disease. The director of CEFOVID, Ronald Kamoga, was born in the slum and obtained a University education. He acts as a broker and go-between private organisations and residents in order to negotiate water infrastructure improvements. CEFOVID works to:
- identify households with most needs
- select secure locations for water points
- ensure ownership is unequivocable and contracts are understood
- ensure water companies lay pipes and adhere to their terms and conditions
- induct tap owners of the responsibility to maintain the supply in a sanitary condition (very important as water is supplied to neighbours) and explains how to do this
- carry out post fitting safety checks and audits
Over the past five years 27 standpipes have been fitted (funded by private individual UK donors) with an average cost of £130 per water supply. These standpipes have been targeted at areas where population density is high or close to local services such as schools or health centres. On average each water supply serves five families with an average household of 5. The 27 pipes have revolutionised the lives of 675 people (including 340 children). This proposal builds on previous successful implementation and intends to bring lifelong benefits to a further 1000 families in the slum (5,000 residents), which will account for 40% of all slum residents without access to sanitary water.
To make a step change in the disease burden of the area, CEFOVID would like to eradicate the use of surface water supplies. In order to do this they plan to address water supplies district by district (‘cells’, according to Uganda’s terminology). The first phase of this project would involve an additional 200 new water supplies.
| KosOvo has 33,000 residents (6.600 families) 40% obtain water from surface supplies (2,600 families) A water connection serves 5 families on average Number of connections required to reach 1,000 families is approximately 200 |
Impact of clean water on society
People who live in the Kosovo slum are some of the most marginalised and impoverished in Ugandan Society. Incomes are extremely low, poverty extreme and ‘shocks’ caused by illness are the most prominent reinforcing factor which maintains this poverty. Crime rates are high and child sexual abuse and trafficking a day-to-day occurrence. CEFOVID have seen a reduction in crime and abuse of children as a result of improved water connections. Notably, children do not need to walk long distances through dangerous unlit streets to collect water.
In addition, groups of households can sell their water, to make a small income which pays their water bills. A reduction in medical costs, for an average household can boost household disposable income by 25%, allowing personal investment in new industries and income generation.