A team of volunteers from the United
States has spent four months constructing latrines, building protected springs
and washing-stations as well as providing training in hygiene and sanitation in
Masaka District. The Union of Community Development Volunteers (UCDV) from Utah
State has constructed 60 protected springs, 16 school latrines, 10 washing
stations, and has also donated water tanks to 15 schools.
UCDV has also built 25 pit latrines
for families in Katoogo Village in Buwunga Sub-county and given out 500 pit
latrine slabs to other families. “We gave out the slabs after making sure we
had trained several of them to build pit latrines, and we expect them to share
the skills with the others,” said Mr Eddy Mutebi, Director of UCDV.
Only 23 per cent of the homesteads in
Katoogo Village had pit latrines before the volunteers’ intervention. About 75
local volunteers have been trained in general hygiene and sanitation practices
and they are expected to teach other community members about the importance of
hand washing, using and keeping latrines clean, as well as drinking clean
water.
Mr Mutebi went on to reveal that the
different schools and villages where the team had donated water tanks or built
protected water springs were recommended by the Masaka District local
administration and the department of health. The festivities for officially
handing over the items to the local communities took place at St Bruno Primary
School, Ssaza on November 19.
Masaka District community officer,
Lilian Musisi said the intervention would go a long way to reduce diarrhoeal
diseases in the district. She said only 57 per cent of the people in Masaka
District have access to safe, clean water, and that only 42 per cent wash hands
with soap.
The total cost of the four month
intervention was about Shs580m which was collected by members of the Church.
Masaka Municipality MP John Baptist Kawanga received the items on behalf of the
Speaker of Parliament, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi who had been invited as the
Chief Guest but could not be present due to other state duties.
Kawanga appealed to the recipient
communities to own the donated items and to protect them from vandalism. Elder
Lincoln F. Barlow and his wife Marilyn Barlow, Humanitarian Services county
director and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – day Saints
attended the function on behalf of the donors.
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