This is the first project to be implemented under the Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks Water Tank Program – Uganda. A large-capacity water tank will be built to serve the needs of the Sya Bright Future Primary School.
Omungari Parish, located in Kiruhura District, is a rural community located in the “dry cattle corridor” of southwestern Uganda. Located 22 kilometers from the nearest paved roads, the people who call Omungari home are mainly of the Banyankole and Bahima tribes. They are generally farmers and cattle herders who grow mainly bananas, maize, and cassava for subsistence, and coffee as the main cash crop.
Omungari is a growing community, most notably seen in the last two years through the arrival of two public service institutions. The presence of Life Child Initiative (LICHI), a privately run health center, and Omungari Secondary School, has spurred an increase in residential construction throughout the trading center and surrounding areas.
Despite the increase in activity seen for Omungari, many problems loom large for living healthy lifestyles. Alcohol consumption is high, income is very low, theft is prevalent, and literacy levels are low, to name but a few.
In addition to the aforementioned, two aspects of life in Omungari stand out as major obstacles to improving the quality of life for the people. Access to clean water sources throughout the area and limited resources within the school systems are serious issues that need to be addressed.
The Sya Bright Future Primary School is, like the health center, a privately run institution, in contrast to the more prevalent government sponsored schools. Catering to students from nursery level to primary seven, there are currently 17 staff members and nearly 400 students, about half of whom are boarding and half day students.
As with nearly every school in the area, Sya Bright Future has a major challenge in meeting its own need for clean water in order to cook, wash clothes, bathe, and drink. Currently, water is taken from a nearby pond that is filled by groundwater runoff from the fairly large watershed area surrounding the school. This is very poor quality water and leads to a host of hygiene and sanitation-related problems for staff and students alike.
Under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Jesse Coker, who presently works at LICHI, a water tank will be built at the school through the use of Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks (ISSB), as explained on the program page for the Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks Water Tank Program – Uganda.
The school has several large buildings with excellent iron sheet roofs that are ideal for the harvesting of clean rainwater for all of its water needs. A 20,000-liter water tank will be positioned just downslope from the new large dormitory, which is just upslope from the bathing area and also just upslope from the kitchen. This way, the least effort is needed to transport the water for multiple uses throughout the school’s compound.
The money supplied by Appropriate Projects will cover roughly half of the costs of this project. The rest will be covered by Sya Bright Future Primary School.
The use of the ISSB technology will assist in the development of a new business that is aimed at helping LICHI transition from external funding sources to a more local, sustainable, and community-oriented approach to health care provision. The construction of this water tank at Sya Bright Future Primary School will help to achieve significant results at two levels: meeting the water needs at the school, and helping to establish a business that will support the activities of a rural health center and thus the health of a population in need.
As an added incentive for potential clients, Engari Community Health Centre is offering complimentary health talks in hygiene and sanitation for every tank that is constructed.
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This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.