Water fall: Lokiru John and his neighbour test out the revamped pump
A simple borehole rehabilitation eases stress for a community and its neighbours
Innocent Niyonzima
For more than three years, the village of Longoroko in Uganda suffered from a lack of water for their people and beloved herds of cattle.
Although there was a borehole, it was in need of maintenance and did not produce enough drinking water for everyone.
“It was always a tug of war at the borehole for both the people fetching water for their families and those trying to quench their cattle. This was worse in the dry seasons when there was little water coming from the borehole,” says Lokiru John, the Chairperson for Longoroko.
The struggle over the water source meant that most people would take their cattle and children in search of water, often covering many kilometres.
Rehabilitation programme
In November 2022, ForAfrika rehabilitated eight boreholes in different villages in Moroto and Napak districts and this has made a huge difference to the villagers.
Now Longoroko has two functioning boreholes that also supply water to the surrounding communities. These boreholes also have troughs that allow their cattle to drink from the overspill, ensuring very little is wasted.
“These boreholes have ensured access to clean water at any point in time because they are easy to access. People now have water not only for drinking and cooking but also for hygiene promotion, such as bathing and washing clothes and utensils in their homes,” continues John.
To date, over 43 boreholes have been rehabilitated in the Moroto and Napak districts improving water provision to households and eliminating deaths to both people and their livestock from thirst or disease.
Innocent Niyonzima is Programmes and Communications Assistant in Uganda
