Providing communities at Bwindi (Uganda) with access to clean water – Rafiki Memorial Wildlife Conservation Initiative

Join Rafiki, Sahaya International and Joint Efforts for Green Mountain Initiative (JEGMI) to provide access to clean water to communities at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

A local NGO, JEGMI is working with local communities to minimize impacts on the forest and the gorillas through sustainable community development activities.

Many communities don’t have access to clean water and have to walk far to fetch water. This affects especially women and girls, as they carry the burden of fetching water for cooking, laundry and other household activities. This time could be utilized in a more productive way. Because of this, the school drop-out rate is also high, especially for girls.

As part of a comprehensive community support project, JEGMI plans to renovate 11 existing water wells, which were abandoned by the water users and to conduct trainings on water management, usage and utilization.

Each well will cost about $1800. This includes approximately $1400 for materials, $300 for labor, and $100 for transport expenses.

We are happy to report that we raised already the funds for 1 well, of which construction was completed in September 2021. This well was built for a community in Buhoma that was in desperate need. Below are some pictures of before, during construction, and the final product. This catchment system is suitable for the community because it is durable and appropriate, and most of the materials can be mobilized and accessed locally. It will use water proof cement, sand, gravel, hard core stones, and wire mesh. This newly constructed well at Buhoma is expected to benefit approximately 1,250 people (approximately 213 households, with an average of about 6 members). In addition to constructing the well in partnership with the local community, JEGMI will also train the local community on maintenance of the well, including collection of a nominal fee of each family to have a reserve funds for any repairs.

Will you help us build a well for another community that is in dire need of access to clean water?

It only takes $1,800 to construct a spring well. Any donation that is provided will already make a difference towards this goal. Or you can decide to donate and/or raise all funds required to construct one well. You can dedicate this well to someone special or raise the funds for a special occasion, such a birthday, a wedding, an anniversary, or in loving memory of someone you lost. A plaque with your preferred designation will be placed at the well.

Please note that donations in the USA are tax-deductible if made via Sahaya International, a California-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To contribute, go to our donation page. If you donate online or by check, please indicate that your donation is for a JEGMI water well.

If you have any questions about the project, or like to see more details of the different phases of the project and a much more detailed budget, please do not hesitate to contact either one of these 2 people:

Koen Van Rompay (Sahaya International): koen@sahaya.org ; Twinamasiko Luke (JEGMI founder): twinamaluke ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com.