A community celebrates the completion of a well with a hand pump in Uganda.

Members of the Water Mission Uganda team leading a menstrual hygiene management training at a local school in eastern Uganda.

• Nearly completed the planned piped systems, with electrical components being installed. Water is expected to flow very soon!
• Completed construction of the school latrine block. They are also applying finishing touches to the handwashing facility, which is 95% finished.
• Mobilized water, sanitation, and hygiene promoters to encourage the adoption of high-quality household latrines and trained masons to construct them. The Water Mission team will conduct joint monitoring visits with government officials to track progress.

Pita, a mother of seven, used to spend six hours every day collecting water. However, the water she worked so hard to collect often made her children sick. Without the time or money to see a doctor, she relied on local herbs. “Sometimes, the children’s health worsened as a result of the local herbs,” Pita shared. “That affected my mental well-being. ”Thankfully, everything changed when Pita’s community got access to clean water. “My children's health has improved, and I have no more worries and fears about their health,” Pita said. “I have more time to focus on my tobacco project with less stress. The income I generate has enabled me to pay for my children’s school fees and provide better nutrition for them.”

• Drilled and equipped all 80 planned wells. While poor groundwater potential in some villages resulted in a 13% failure rate during the 92 drilling attempts, additional drilling in those same villages led to successful wells.
• Formed and trained 80 “Self-Help Groups” with 3,546 participants (1,767 men and 1,779 women). These groups contribute to the economic development of the community and also maintain a reserve fund for water and sanitation needs.
• Still to come: final sanitation and hygiene follow-ups to assess progress toward community goals, district-wide hand pump mechanics training, and endline data collection.

Nkiranuye washes her hands at her Tippy Tap. Inspired by the training, Nkiranuye transformed her home into a model of cleanliness, building a handwashing station, latrine, and drying rack.

• Reached 79% completion of the piped water system. They have nearly finished central infrastructure (like reservoir tanks, pump houses, and transmission lines) while work continues on distribution networks and taps.
• Completed latrine blocks at 4 schools. Each block includes a washroom, a special stall for students with physical disabilities, and a menstrual waste management incinerator.
• Trained 160 children (92 girls and 68 boys) in school health clubs on preventing disease, maintaining facilities, and practicing good hygiene and sanitation behaviors.
• Held 3 quarterly meetings with the group that will manage the piped system to update them on construction progress and ensure they understand their responsibilities after handover.

In water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) awareness training, local leaders learn about common WASH issues so they can make informed decisions about related challenges in their community and select the best people to become members of the Safe Water Committees.

Stephen, a local mason, works on tap stand construction in the ​​Kyakanyemera community.