This April, south-east England experienced the warmest April day for nearly seventy years. The sky was blue and the air was hot, and we basked in the early taste of summer.
We were constantly reminded of the need to stay hydrated, and we did so with water based drinks: squash, tea, plain water itself. We happily consumed litres of the stuff and thought nothing of it.
But what if that wasn’t an option? What if, despite the heat, we had no easy access to drinking water and were given a stark choice: drink brackish water filled with bacteria that will make us sick, or walk long distances, often through dangerous country, use a good proportion of our family’s income to pay for the water we need, then walk home, carrying it in 20 litre containers?
Have you tried carrying twenty litres of water? Twenty litres weighs three stones and two pounds, or the average weight of a British four year old child. Imagine carrying that much weight over as much as five miles of rough terrain. This is what children as young as seven must do every day in northern Uganda.
It damages the child’s health, causing spinal abnormalities that can lead to chronic pain for the rest of their lives. As well as this, the hours spent collecting the water means the children cannot be in school, which reduces their opportunities for good careers.
World In Need has built several wells in northern Uganda. Each well serves a village of about 60 households and, since World In Need believes that access to clean water is a human right, the people access the well free
of charge. Therefore, people are better able to access water while saving money and time. The children are not put at risk, and are able to attend school.
As well as the actual well, World In Need built a sanitation facility nearby, and a security fence which prevents wild animals contaminating the water as well as making sure the equipment is safe from thieves.
A well complex costs about £5000. We hope to build further wells in more villages, improving life for countless more families.
Would you like to know more about our well-building projects? Perhaps you’d like to organise an event to raise funds towards the cost of a new well? Please email us at info@worldinneed.co.uk, or phone our office on 01892 669834, and we’ll be glad to talk to you.
