Just a Drop: The Kituntu Women’s Association

Colonel Mike Reynolds, Trustee for Projects, and John Purefoy, Project Officer, visited this Just a Drop project in Uganda in October 2010. This is their report on progress so far.

The project’s aim is to significantly improve the supply of clean water and sanitation for around 1,350 people, a population spread over five villages in Mpigi District, about fifty kilometres west of the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

The title of this project might suggest that the beneficiaries are purely women, but the reality is that the Kituntu Women’s Association was set up many years ago and has grown to involve many different people, with different skills and expertise, working to help improve the lives of the local population.

Our first meeting was with the Chairman of the region. He is the man responsible for the day to day running of the area and would be the arbiter in first instance of any disputes. He welcomed us warmly and insisted on accompanying us to the work completed so far and the work still in progress.

Project Summary

Water Jars
There are a total of six water jars, one of these has been completed and there are five waiting for the work to start.

Latrines
There is a total of six blocks to be installed, one of these blocks has now been completed, two are almost finished and there are three blocks remaining to be started.

Wells
There are a total of three wells to be completed. One of these wells has now been finished and is in full use; however the two remaining wells are currently work in progress.

Training
Water and Sanitation Committees are now in hand to start educating the local village members.

The community is exceptionally poor and are overwhelmingly grateful for what has already been constructed. The old women virtually prostrated themselves in thanks and would not let go of my hand.

The project is due to be completed in January 2011 according to Marion Nakimbugwe, the Association Chairman. She is a very switched on and credible lady. She said that as election campaigning starts in January the project has to be complete by then or it will come to a halt.

Certainly any person visiting the project would come away with a strong sense that lives were being transformed by the money that you were kind enough to provide for them. It is impossible to overstate the importance of what has been achieved because, put quite simply, people will live who might otherwise have died.