Dula Well Project – Uganda

Dula, Uganda Project 

to Eliminate Disease and Provide Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene 

Chris Roesel, Jeff Morgan, Eric Lehan, and CCEDUC 

December, 2020

This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the National Peace Corps Association.

This proposal is to provide water and stop preventable diseases in a rural community of Uganda. The community we propose to help is Dula village in Kei sub-county, Yumbe District, Uganda.  

Dula has 358 households (roughly 2000 people). We are raising $15,825 to provide water, sanitation, touchless handwashing stations, malaria eradication, and income generation. 

Currently, the only water source for the village is an open water hole shared with animals (shown below). The nearest borehole is in the neighboring village which is 5 kms from the households to access. 54 households do not have latrines. 115 Latrines collapsed due to heavy rains (see the second picture below). Malaria is on an upswing this year. A nearby community reported a 61% malaria incidence rate in 2020.  

A few pictures from Dula are attached below: 

A close up

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Waterhole from which the community gets drinking and cooking water 
A close up of a rock

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A latrine in Dula
A dirt path next to a tree

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Another waterhole picture 

In the proposed project, Chris Roesel, an RPCV who has an MPH from Johns Hopkins in international health, Jeff Morgan, a local Kansas plumbing company owner and board member of Plumbers without Borders, and CCEDUC, a local Ugandan NGO, with support from Eric Lehan, P.E., Civil/Sanitation Engineer and member of Engineers without Borders, will work with Dula to stop disease transmission by improving water, sanitation, hygiene, and malaria prevention and treatment infrastructure and supplies. The result will be that Dula saves thousands of dollars in medical expenses a year and hundreds of days of lost labor due to illness. The work will be a simple process.

The process will be as follows: 

  • Require upfront community contributions to the community leadership for the activities.  
  • Meet and consult the leadership of the District Health Office (Roesel established this relationship last year).  
  • Convene a community meeting and plan with the community, using the Future Search Conference methodology (futuresearch.net/methodology), condensed into two days.  
  • Initiate baseline survey of water, diarrhea, malaria, and income.  
  • Invite bids for state-of-the-art work from local contractors.  
  • Sign and supervise contracts.  
  • Install at least one well and rainwater collection facilities.  
  • Refurbish or rebuild latrines. Ensure malaria prevention (LLITNs) and treatment.  
  • With the support of TCP Global and VSLA.net, establish a microloans group. Celebrate and conduct an initial evaluation of work.  
  • Impact will be evaluated one year later with the support of DHO. The estimated cost of this project is $15,000, not including travel which will be paid for by team members.  

Dula does not have a school nor a health post. It has a village leader and a council team. The village has a Village Savings and Loan Association. The community contribution will be labor and local materials. 

LATRINE BASE PLATES, VENTILATION, SCREENS, WELL, STORAGE TANK, and ANTI-MALARIALS

Item Amount Cost Explanation 
Cement 0.5 bag/pp*204  $ 581.40  204 latrine base plates and cover of well 
Rebar 63mm 1.33 m/pp  $1550.00  Reinforcement of above, 5×4’x150′ rolls 
4″ Conduit 50′  $   52.00  Well 
204 4″ conduit pipes 10′  $2,040.00  Ventilation 
2/3 sheet corrugated iron 12’x2 1/16′  $3,125.28  Roof 
Screen 5’x50′  $  113.00   
Anti-malarials  $2,000.00   
Sand  $  200.00   
Gravel  $  200.00   
ISSB Machine  $3,000.00   
Drill  $  305.00   
3/4″ black iron pipe * 30′  $    86.65   
1 10,000 L tank  $  800.00   
Hand pump  $  500.00   
Skilled labor  $  300.00   
Walls for latrines  $  971.67   
  
Total  $158,250 

Dula Baseline Survey 

2/4/2021 

10% systematic Household sample (36 households) 

Water source for family: 

  • River 10% 
  • Stream 14% 
  • Unprotected well 33% 
  • Unprotected spring 25% 

97% had their water source dry up at least once in the last month. 

64% were an hour or more from their water sources. 

Latrines: 

  • 75% (27) had no latrine. 
  • 25% (9) had traditional pit latrines. 

None had handwashing facilities for their latrines. 

Diarrhea incidence in the last 2 weeks: 

  • 66% (23) of youngest children had diarrhea 
  • 34% did not 

Malaria: 

  • 94% of youngest children had malaria 

Spent an average of 24,556 UGX/month on diarrhea tx=$79.56/year. 

Spent an average of 29,761 UGX/month on malaria tx=$96.48/year. 

Earned an average of 56,714 UGX/week/hh=$796/year. 

Spent 22% of income treating diarrhea and malaria. 

HH=household. 

Tx= treatment. 

The project’s deliverables will be the following in Dula, a village of 358 households:

1) 95% decrease in the incidence of diarrhea

2) 50% decrease in the incidence of malaria

3) 80% decrease in household expenses treating diarrhea and malaria

4) 4 protected wells with drainage and handpumps

5) 112 VIP latrines constructed and in use

6) 350 handwashing stations

7) Anti-malarial treatment for all villagers