Bobol Village and Wera School

Thanks for reading my blog again! Im amazed by the amount of views that it has had, the more views the more people are aware of WaterAids work, which is essentially what this trip is all about. 

Today we visited Bobol Village, in 2011 Bobol Village was a WaterAid project and as a result was given a fresh water supply and hygiene education. We were in the village to witness firsthand the effect this had had on the villagers way of life. Bobol Village has 83 houses and 76 Latrines.

Today I spent time with Osoman Galacio and Glaia Lucy, father and mother to eight children, the eldest being 26 and the youngest ten, they also have two grandchildren living with them and their mother and father, meaning the total people in their family unit is 14.

I learnt a lot from the family about their way of life but the primary bits I want to share is about how the installation of a bore hole changed their lives. There used to be a lot of diseases and diarrhoea when they had to use well water, since the installation of a pump this has vastly reduced. Robin and Mary (two of the elder children in the house) used to have to travel for 2 hours six times a day to fetch water, now their trip takes less than half an hour.

In addition to the water supply WaterAid educated them in hygienic practice, they now have a clean toilet, handwashing facilities, and dish drying areas away from the animals. Such a stark contrast from the community we spent time with yesterday, they seemed so much healthier, and happier, the atmosphere in the community was so positive. Everywhere we went we were being thanked for our support, what an inspiration these people are!

This afternoon we visited a school, another stark contrast from yesterdays school, government funded, it has many painted messages around the school about the importance of water and hygiene. They have new latrines installed in 2011 as well and now pupils can use the toilet safely and discreetly, they have hand washing facilities and even a changing room for girls. We sat with pupils who were making sanitary towels, this vital piece of education means that girls do not have to miss school during their period. It not only provides them the tools to manage their cycle but also the awareness among the school.

Although there is so much to say pictures speak louder than words so I have shared some pictures for you below. In Uganda there are still 8.5 million people living without safe water and 22.1 million without sanitation. I cannot get over the amazing work that WaterAid is doing not just in this village, not just in this region, not even just in this country, but in 26 countries throughout the world.

 

It seems crazy that just £6,080 could pay for a borehole in Uganda which can change an entire communities life.