Gulu residents get cheap manual drilling water pumps

By Andrew Masinde                        

Challenges of walking long distances in search for clean and safe water has been relieved off the residents of Koro and Bobi sub counties in Gulu District by World Vision Uganda.

22 manual drilling Baptist water pumps were commissioned in the sub counties of Bobi and Koro in Gulu district by World Vision regional coordinator U-wash programme, Wilfred Okello.

The manual rope pump uses a rope with round shaped rubber washers that work as pistons to lift water from the well. As one turns the wheel of the rope pump clock wise, water gushes out at a continuous rate.

Okello said the manual drill is advantageous because it is low cost; it is speedy, easy to use, and to maintain.  He added that, water is a necessity in every homestead. Without it, a lot of diseases are triggered and eventually result into poor health and death.

“During the baseline survey, it was discovered many people were sharing dirty water with animals, and the few boreholes in the area where kilometres away from the home stead.

We decided to device cheap means that communities could afford, and the manual drilling Baptist( MDB )method was the only option. The whole process costs only sh2million and the community have water,” said Okello.

“Not only did they face the challenge of looking for safe water, but the long queues that stayed up to late hours would lead to young girls to be raped,and this could lead to early pregnancies with children dropping out of school; this would lead to some of fistula cases during deliveries,” Joyce Auma a resident Koro in Gulu district said.

A smiling Santa Ayo Auma 42years could not hide the relief of walking long distances in search for water. She pointed out that she would walk two kilometres to get water which is now a relief to her with the new device.

Ayo said, "I would find it difficult when one talked of collecting water but with God’s grace my prayer has been answered."

Stella Aber the community Development Assistant said in most parts of Gulu, several people have to travel long distances to collect water in most cases from dirty water sources due to the several purposes they serve like feeding animals, washing bicycles and washing dirty clothes. With the manual water pumps, conditions are to improve drastically.