Bugiri schools get water, sanitation facilities

Samuel Mulongo, 33, who is physically disabled says fetching water has always been  a nightmare. He had to move long distances and even after getting to the community borehole, fetching water was an uphill task as he had to wait long hours for Good Samaritans to pump water for him.

"Sometimes, I would sit for an hour before someone came along and helped me," he recalls.

When he heard that an inclusive borehole was being commissioned in his village, he said, he just had to witness it.  "Indeed, the borehole is designed in a manner that is favourable to people with disabilities which gives me great joy," he stressed.

He added that using latrines when he was in school was also a big challenge because they lacked ramps and were dirty. "I am also happy to witness the commissioning of drainable latrines that also cater for people with disabilities," he added.

 
Mulongo was part of the crowd who witnessed World Vision commissioning water and sanitary facilities in Nankoma, Buwunga and Nabukalu sub-counties.

The facilities that were commissioned included 51 inclusive boreholes equipped with hand pumps drilled in 37 communities, rainwater harvesting tanks constructed in four schools in Nankoma sub-country, 37 drainable latrines blocks of five stances for girls, boys and teachers in 25 schools and five classroom blocks in five schools across the three sub-counties.

The World Vision Uganda National Director, Gilbert Kamanga, said $770,650 (sh2.7b) was allocated by World Vision Hong Kong to implement Water, Hygiene and Sanitation facilities in Bugiri to improve equitable access to sustainable water supply and sanitation for 8,048 households and 5,500 children in Nankoma sub-county by 2018.

One of the drainable latrines that cater for people with disabilities

 
"We are happy to hand over these facilities to the schools and the local government, we hope the community members will use them well," he said.

Eng. Joseph Oriono Eyatu, the commissioner for rural water supply and sanitation in the Ministry of Water and Environment who presided over the commissioning of the facilities called upon the beneficiaries to handle them with care.