WATER SOURCE EXPLORATION

This water is clean, and drinkable as demonstrated by the driver in the video clip below. It is currently running until we can purchase the tank and get pipes to pump it for later distribution. It is still being fetched by boda boda drivers (motorcycle drivers) in jerrycans and sold to the community at Uganda Shillings 700 a jerrycan, which is very costly.

This is the 'water source' wherein water will be drawn to feed the community. A tank will soon be stationed at a higher altitude in order to aid daily distribution of water to the rest of the village.

Final Exploration of the water source...

This machinery was sponsored by Engineers without Boarders, from Penn State University

Another water spill to be exploited to send to the main tank

NAMUTAMBA WATER PROJECT

The Community

Namutamba, a community predominantly known for tea growing in Central Uganda, lies about 88km Southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s Capital. The Namutamba community consists of about 3,900 members in 796 households, but the region as a whole does not have the infrastructure nor the resources in place to maintain a consistent water supply. The region experiences seasons that are dry and wet, and water is quite limited during the dry season.  

Engineers Without Borders from Penn State and Rotary Club members, visiting the site on August 2023

The Project

With the influence of Mrs. Ann Bunyenyezi Karasanyi under an organization she cofounded; Kisaakye Community Empowerment Foundation (KCEF), an initiative was started and the stakeholders sensitized with main objective of ensuring the community gets unlimited access to clean water supply.

Water Drilling Equipment in Namutamba

Scope of the Project

The Namutamba Water project will involve...

  1. Surveying

  2. Drilling of a production well

  3. Water distribution designing   

  4. Installation of an overhead stainless-steel tank of capacity 100,000L  

  5. Procurement of water pumps and pipes

  6. Laying of water distribution pipes

Next Steps

  1. Procurement of project hardware and Installations

  2. Developing a sustainable community water user model

  3. Project Estimate: 130,000USD

  4. Target Beneficiaries: over 4000 people

KCEF Uganda

Together we can break the cycle of poverty in Namutamba, Uganda. We can make a massive difference and raise resources to empower lives.

DONATE

Support the Namutamba Project

WATER TANK PROJECT

We embarked on a program to promote rainwater harvesting for schools and health facilities.  With portable water in schools, the burden of school children having to forego classes to fetch water is eliminated.

Water is a key essential for girls' menstrual hygiene, without which there is a huge compromise that led to girls missing school, this irregular attendance greatly affects class performance.

With 2,500USD, we are able to build a 20,000L Rainwater Harvesting Tank, this not only avails portable water for schools but also provides jobs for youths locally. 





BEGA KWA BEGA PROJECT

Reverend John and Mrs. Canon Aida Bunyenezi contributed the funds towards the erection of a water pump that would provide easier access to clean water from the spring for children who had to fetch water.

RAINWATER HARVESTING TANKS PROJECT PROPOSAL

Proposal for construction of 6 Rainwater Harvesting Tanks of capacity 10,000L each.

Cost for each tank, gutters and pipes= 3,100,000/= (837USD) 

Total Cost of Project = 3,100,000 X 6 = 18,600,000/= (5,027USD)

The project seeks to construct 8 Echo-Friendly Rainwater Harvesting Tanks for 8 families of the elderly in Namutamba Parish.

Ferro-cement is lightly reinforced cement mortar used in thin walled construction. The term Ferro-cement has of recent been referred to as Ferro-concrete or reinforced concrete to better describe the end product instead of its components. Because of the thin walls, using Ferro-cement in tank construction requires that reinforcement materials should be resistant to the effects of moisture; galvanized wires and mesh are commonly used because they are relatively cheap and are readily available in the market. The main advantage of Ferro-cement tank is that it saves on building materials due to the thin walls, while at the same time it resists cracking due to the mesh reinforcement and the cylindrical shape. Unlike plastic tanks, Ferro-Cement tanks are easy to repair.

Uganda experiences a dry spell of over 60 days each year leading to adverse weather conditions that result in drying up of the only available water sources. The cost of water usually tripples during dry spells . Making life difficult especially for the elderly memebes of society. 

Families especially the elderly face a big challenge of walking almost 3 miles to access water in valley bottoms, the limited access to water compromises hygiene leading to exposure to a number of waterborne illnesses that result into unwarranted medical expenses that limit economic growth. 

The project will ensure the selected families have access to portable water , reduce the prevalence of waterborne illnesses and promote economic growth in thr select families. 

The project will also train at least 10 youths from Namutamba Parish to acquire basic skills in Ferro-cement water tank constrained repair to aid project sustainability and easy maintenance. 

Project duration: 1 month

CLEAN COOKING SOLUTIONS

Biogas digester of 4m3 and clean cookstoves = 3,500,000/= @ (950USD)

10 families X 3,500,000/= 35,000,000/= (9,506USD)

The project aims at availing Clean cookstoves are made to ensure maximum efficiency. To eliminate the use of biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal or other polluting fuels such as coal and kerosene.

Families in villages struggle with solid waste management that greatly contributes to water and air pollution. At the same time families in rural areas depend on biomass as an immediate source of energy for cooking which contributes to decimating the forest cover and emission of greenhouse gasses. 

The project will construct small household Biogas digestors for rural families and also provide clean cookstoves 

Biogas is a renewable energy source that can be produced from manure through a process called anaerobic digestion. This process involves breaking down manure in an airtight chamber without oxygen, which is done by bacteria. The resulting gas mixture, called biogas, is made up of methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases. 

Energy source: Biogas can be used as a fuel to generate electricity and heat, or it can be refined into other fuels. It has about 60% of the energy capacity of natural gas. 

 

Waste treatment: Biogas digesters treat animal waste, which can reduce odors and germs. 

 

Fertilizer: The digestate from biogas production can be used as an organic fertilizer because it contains the same nutrients as manure.  This greatly replenishes soil fertility, improves agricultural yields and ultimately boosts family incomes. 

 

Greenhouse gas reduction: Biogas production can help reduce methane emissions, a greenhouse gas

 

Biogas plants have numerous advantages and benefits which translate into better economics for small holder farmers and ensure good stewardship of resources and the environment. Biogas produced  is a source of energy needed for cooking and lighting. 

Moreover, the generation of biogas reduces the dependency on fossil fuels which are nonrenewable and mitigates attendant global warming continuously being caused by the combustion of fossil fuels. In other words, biogas produces a clean fuel that helps in the control of air pollution resulting from burning of fossil fuels.

Another advantage of biogas production from manure is that it reduces water pollution by the initial decomposition of the manure in the digester before the manure is applied to the field.

Due to other constraints, manure cannot be applied in the field immediately after it is produced. Traditionally, the manure is stored until there is an opportunity for its land application. In the interval between its production and field application, manure might be used for energy generation in digesters. The type of digester used  is typically determined by the manure management practices in place and the type of animal manure that is fed into the digester. Slurry and liquid manure from cattle and pigs can be used as feedstock for biogas production in digesters. Biogas recovery from animal waste may hold the key to unlocking the financial and environmental benefits of managing manure generated from livestock operations and organic wastes from homesteads. It also helps to reduce the greenhouse gas emission from methane . Biogas is produced by the activities of bacteria that breaks down the biodegradable components of the manure in the absence of oxygen in an airtight chamber. The process is called anaerobic digestion.

Donations From Visiting Partners: Engineers Without Boarders EWB (Pennsylvania State University Chapter)

Photos of Visiting Partners: Engineers Without Boarders (EWB - Pennsylvania State University Chapter)

Nutrition & Food Security

The organization has partnered with Seed programs International & the Rotary Club of Mityana to ensure that families get quality seeds and basic skills of vegetable growing. This ensures families get an all-year-round vegetable rich diet to greatly cut down diseases related to nutrient deficiency.

Youth & Women Empowerment

We train selected groups of teenage mothers and youths, equip them with marketable skills, ensure they make quality products to stand out in a competitive market. With an alarmingly increasing number of teenage mothers who are school dropouts and some having never attended any classes, it makes the future of our community dwindle into uncertainty. create an environment to prepare the teenage mothers into responsible skilled mothers and empower them to afford a livelihood.

OUR STRATEGIC PILLARS

  • Improved Equitable Quality Education Among Vulnerable Children

  • Strengthened Early Childhood Development Systems in Schools

  • Increased Access to quality Education

  • Reduced Mortality and Prevalence of Diseases in Communities

  • Increased Access to Sustainable Clean and Safe Water

  • Improved Maternal and Infant Health in Communities

Together with the EWB and other development partners, we are committed to ensuring the community of Namutamba gets clean piped water.

-KCEF Uganda

GET INVOLVED

Your donations to KCEF Uganda help us provide increased knowledge and practices that prevent communicable disease in the community

We welcome both individual donations and corporate sponsorships. For more information on corporate sponsorships, please contact

(202) 492-8932 | info@kcefuganda.org