Conclusion of Well Handpump Repair and Workshop Program – Uganda

Project Summary:

In May of 2015, Water Charity funded a well hand pump repair workshop in Wakiso District of Uganda.  This unique project aimed to train/retrain hand pump technicians, educate water committee members, and repair 10 broken handpumps/wells.  Robert Acaye, hand pump repair program manager for Connect Africa, conducted site assessments with District representatives and led the workshop.  There were 13 total participants from Connect Africa, Uganda Water Project, Drink Local Drink Tap, EMI, and the Peace Corps.

The first three days were devoted to hand pump repair classroom training, held at the Connect Africa “HUB” in

Migadde, Wakiso District.  Lessons included hand pump parts/functions, proper tools/procedures, troubleshooting, and well maintenance.  The teachings were fun and interactive, with meals provided for the participants.  There was a mixture of new and returning participants, all receiving certifications on the third day.

The next two days were perhaps the most important, addressing the “software”.  They focused on Borehole Management, covering topics such as community ownership, source protection, and managing finances.  This included each borehole’s own water committee, usually consisting of four members each.  The first session was held at the HUB, with members from Gombe and Centema sub-counties. The second session was held at Masulita sub-county headquarters, with member from that area.  All water committee members made their own by-laws and set household water user fees, usually about $0.30 (1,000 UGX) per month.  A total of 48 committee members attended; each receiving lunch and a small transportation reimbursement.

The remaining five days were all spent in the field, repairing the hand pumps and promoting proper hygiene.  The participants were very eager to get real experience to develop skills that complement their new knowledge.  The group of 14 was divided into two, each with a separate task that rotated back each day.  While one group repaired the handpump, the other group taught community members on disease transmission, washing hands, and clean water storage.  All of this activity created quite a buzz, with decent sized crowds watching the technicians work, listening to the hygiene promotion, and preforming tasks needed for the well (like slashing grass, picking up trash, and fence building). 

The most common mechanical problems were worn out cylinders (rubbers and foot valve), pipes, and rods.  Other problems included broken handles, chains, pump heads, and concrete pad repair.  A wide variety of repair techniques were practiced during the workshop.

The whole workshop ended with successfully repairing 14 handpumps and equipping their water committees with the knowledge to maintain them.  The government funds which enabled the addition of 4 “extra wells” was a welcome matching/ community contribution.  As a result, an estimated 4,842 Ugandans now have access to clean water thanks to Water Charity, Connect Africa, and this program!  Also, 13 hand pump repair technicians have built both hardware and software skills to make a huge difference. 

Peace Corp Volunteer, Katherine Marshall, stated how impressed she was at the workshop and how it has given her new community training skills to use in the future.

Way forward:

Routine follow-ups will be done to keep community relations and ensure the well is maintained (92% previous results).  This will be much easier because the all the communities are within Wakiso District, where the HUB is located.