Kyakulumbye Development Foundation (KDF)
Established in 1992, Kyakulumbye Development Foundation (KDF) has provided 350 water sources to more than 80% of the population in Mpigi district. With a vision of a healthy self sustaining rural community, KDF has provided access to clean and safe water to at least nine communities within Mpigi District.
The community members now walk shorter distances to access the clean water compared to the past. Before it was set up, only 10% had access to clean water.
KDF partners with the community in the construction of the wells. The community avails the location, labor and materials for the construction of the wells.
Any defects on the wells are also repaired by trained artisans/masons in the village. The foundation was set up for the purpose of child sponsorship but later shifted focus to provide safe and clean water to the community.
According to the programme coordinator Ronald Kato, KDF changed focus
after the government introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE). "Its founders realized that the community had a serious problem with water. People used to fetch water from the ponds and swamps at the same time sharing with animals," says Kato.
He also adds that the community in Mpigi District whose population is about 400,000 people was suffering from water borne diseases like Dysentery, malaria and others.
To date, the foundation has constructed 350 water sources in nine of the sub counties in Mpigi. "These water sources are used by more than 10,000 people but we hope to expand with time to provide water to all people," Kato says.
The nine sub counties include Kyegoza , Bulo, Kituntu, Ngando, Kibibi, Mpenja, Karamba, Budde and Buwama. The community members from all these organizations are notified of any funding from the several sources, thereafter, the community makes its contribution.
Safe water: One of the spring wells.
"Each sub county has more than 25 wells," Kato says. The foundation constructs shallow wells, spring wells, Ferro cement tanks with funding from various donors in and outside Uganda . "We have so far injected more than shs 400 million into this project," Kato says.
Initially, the project was funded by Water Aid that donated at least Shs 500million. "Currently we are funded by SIMAVI; a Netherlands based NGO that funds safe and drinking water projects for the poor. It has so far donated Shs 219million in the last three years.
Kato says that they also receive funding from a 12-year old boy, Ryan Well who raises the money through washing cars in the US . "He has so far raised Shs 41million for us."
The foundation has also received at least Shs 65million from Global Giving based in US for building ECOSAN toilets. One of the unique factors about the foundation is that after each of the well is constructed, it is handed over to the community wholly.
"After construction, a memorandum of understanding is signed between the community and KDF handing over the facility to them," Kato says, adding, "the community consults the local artisans in case of damage, the people own the facilities."
The process involves commissioning the well and giving a certificate of membership to the community who start the process of looking after the well responsibly. Kato says that in 1998, they realized that it was crucial to involve children in the maintenance of the wells since they were the ones with the duty of fetching water.
"Since then, we have involved children in the process," Kato says. "They clean, plant flowers around the wells, and dig around the wells."
According to KDF, children are seen as the ambassadors of change. Charles Luzindana, the Community Mobiliser, the children also help in the building of the wells.
"We train and teach them about the safe water chain, improving sanitation, which they practice when they go back to their homes." Two boys and two girls are selected in each community to represent other children in the community water committees.
Apart from merely providing water to the various communities in Mpigi district, KDF goes ahead to make sure that there is continued hygiene and sanitation within the communities.
"We go around the communities, visiting homes, monitoring the level of hygiene in the home" says Nassuna Joeliah, the Hygiene promoter. Nassuna says that any family that is found to be in a poor hygiene condition is sensitized about the dangers of poor sanitation and such a home is monitored until its sanitation improves.
Nassuna says that due to this, poor hygiene related diseases have been decreasing over the years as people become mindful of their hygiene. Kato says that the organization hopes to expand to other districts which he says have already requested their services. "Currently we only operate in Mpigi only and now, other districts like Kalangala, Sembabule, Mityana have approached us and we are looking into it."
The organization hopes to expand once funds are available.
