Thursday, November 15, 2012

Ensuring Safe Access to Water



Patrick Bakulambe 68, is a resident of Kazigo A village, one of UVP’s newly launched Healthy Villages. Bakulambe took some time out of his garden to take us around the village showing us the places where his family gets water for domestic use.
Kazigo A is one of the many villages in Iganga district that falls below 60 % access to safe water. Though they have 3 government bore holes and one shallow well sunk by the Red Cross, the plush green vastness of the village keeps the east side secluded from amenities. They walk for over a kilometer to fetch water at the shallow well and two kilometres to the closest borehole. When it’s too tiring to carry the heavy jerrycans, the villagers from the east side of Kazigo A are forced to get water from open wells that surround their homes.


A well in the east part of the village will allow 80 households, that is a population of about 500-600 people to have access to safe water. UVP is currently working in Kazigo A to increase their sanitation levels, with increased sanitation levels (i.e. increased latrine coverage, tippy taps, plate stands and trash pits), infectious diseases can be prevented. In the future, we hope to provide the north side of the village with a UVP shallow well ensuring they have safe access to water.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Stories from the Field: Family Planning Services in Kidaago A

By Maureen Nakalinzi 

Kidaago A is one of our Healthy Villages located in Nambale Subcounty in Iganga District. Because this village is far away from the road, accessing health services like family planning is very difficult since women have to walk very long distances to access these services. When we told them we will be conducting family planning outreaches, they were so excited and grateful. On the day of the outreach, we found them already lined up because they were afraid that the medicines will not be enough and some of them would miss out. However, we informed them that we had enough supplies to cover them. Thanks to the people who donate generously for these programs, we are able to extend both short term and long term family planning services to these women and men in this remote village.