the great BIG project

The Water Pump

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the-water-pump-1.jpgEmploying local people, the water pump for The Great Big Project was reconditioned in May 2013. Although expensive to recondition, this work was completed in two days, including replacing the rusty underground pipe with a new stainless steel one.

Very few Ugandans can afford to install their own pump for water. As a result, most walk great distances , which can be upto 4kms, to return with water in plastic containers.

There is a water shortage in the Nakiwaate-Nakifuma (Mukono)  area, which is why the pump was a priority.

Our water pump is situated just outside our fenced area, making it readily available for the people in the local community and to use on our crops.   Previously water had been provided by a poultry farmer, but when he went out of business, the water supply was turned off.  Our pump was the only other close by alternative, and until this was reconditioned, people had to walk even further to obtain water.

9.2m people in Uganda don't have access to safe water. This is a quarter of the population.  Over 12,000 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation in Uganda.  Groundwater is the most important source of potable water in Uganda, especially in the rural areas, and provides 80% or more of the water supply.