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Busoga Bugle Spring 2024“Thanks our donors. Through Busoga Trust Waluswa Primary School now has a functional borehole.”
From the EditorGood News and a Vote of Thanks!Amidst the doom and gloom of world news, a celebration took place on 12th April 2024 at BT Uganda’s Friday morning Fellowship. It was cake for all! Country Manager Johnson announced that BT had achieved the “Holy Grail” of INDEFINITE SUSTAINABILITY for rural hand pumped water! Out of our 1,300 rehabilitated boreholes, which BT has so far restored since Covid, 98% are functional and 92% (and rising) of their communities have sufcient savings in the bank to pay for foreseeable repairs. So they have the money to pay their hand pump mechanic when necessary. If you or I had lived, as millions do in Uganda, at the mercy of foul, infected water, we too would surely rejoice! Take Margaret in Mpigi District, now drinking the rst drops of clean water after 12 years of algae infected foul water. Margaret had seen 4 children and her husband die and her life had become a daily struggle just to survive. But now smiling Margaret says: “Since BT repaired our borehole, I can now see a bright future and enjoy a healthy life!” Testimony after testimony spells out the misery and the hopelessness of a life without clean water and the wonderful contrast when their borehole is restored.Yet these people, whose extreme poverty is a consequence of no clean water, are as we speak, being abandoned by the “international community”. Governments and most NGOs have “given up” on hand pumped water because, they say, sustainable functionality (Below: 71 year old grandmother Margaret was forced to collect water from this dirty pond as her community borehole was non-functional for 12 years.) 2
is not achievable. This is the context in which BT had that little celebration on 12th April. A massive THANK YOU, therefore, to all our wonderful, faithful, generous supporters! It is you who have made this breakthrough possible! It is because of you that little BT is demonstrating indenite functionality for many, many more who rely on hand pumped water. Some of you have shared with us these 40 years through ups and downs, when money was plentiful and when money was tight. But nothing can take away what we have together achieved, and it is too important and historic not to be celebrated and built upon! (Above: Margaret smiles as she pumps clean, safe water from her “new”, shiny community borehole.) Why has BT always used the Consallen handpump?In 1992, when Comic Relief showed on television the results of the generosity of the British public, you saw Lenny Henry standing by a hand dug well. “This one”, he said, “..is a cracker! This pump provides water every day for 2,500 people!” The next day, the designer and manufacturer of the Consallen handpump, Vincent Allen himself, scolded the ED because he correctly pointed out that the pump was designed for communities of 250, not 2,500! Blushing on the telephone, the ED meekly defended BT by pointing out that we had to start somewhere! (A blurry photo of Lenny Henry visiting a BT shallow well in 1992.)3
Output TotalNumber of PBR Visits 10,407Number of PBR Surveys 2,449Number of Borehole Rehabs 76Number of Shallow Well Rehabs 8Population served 29,082Households served 3,281Trees Planted 9,293Banana Suckers Planted 1,100Handwashing Facilities 2,020Latrines 669MHM Trainees 2,948MHM Sessions 89Beehives 430Sato Pans Sold 1,017OUTPUTS from 1st November 2023 - April 30th 2024Map to show the Districts BT is currenly active in.4
More Good News!While BT has recently concentrated our biggest efforts on the rehabilitation of 1,300 boreholes, and now the achievement of their indenite sustainability, we have also simultaneously continued to repair and visit our 2,000 shallow hand dug wells. Many of these wells, with their Consallen hand pumps, were installed 20, 30, or 40 years ago. Because BT lost our computerised database twice in the late 1990s, it is going to take time to obtain a really accurate gure. However, from our information through hand pump mechanics and regular visits from our Outriders, we estimate that over 80% are functional. Here are some examples:Nawanzu Well was dug in 1996 during Murray Dale’s regime. For 28 years it has pumped clean, soft water without any major breakdown just routine maintenance. In the picture you see 11-year-old Lazia, who is disabled, pumping water with her one good hand. The ED has often pumped a Consallen with his little nger to demonstrate how smoothly it operates (most boreholes need two hands and hard pumping). (Below: Lazia pumps water at Nawanzu Well.)5
In the SpotlightJimmy Lubanga alias “Salongo” (father of twins)Amina is fairly new to BT but she has already made a big impact. Give her a sleepy community and she will soon wake it up through her excellent social skills and ability to communicate. Amina is a good mobiliser and planner, and she has boosted the team working in Mpigi which is producing results as good or better than anywhere else. Her cheerful nature has a good inuence on the rest of the team. Amina’s character shines with her heart-warming Christian faith. She can be trusted to achieve excellent results.A snazzy dresser, Jimmy joined BT in 2007 and was soon promoted to Cashier/ Procurement Ofcer, Luwero. Made storekeeper under the magisterial supervision of Winifred Kaboyo, Jimmy Salongo, as his colleagues call him, is a keen runner. He is a natural “go between” with the Bishop of Luwero whom he often chauffeurs to Episcopal events. Jimmy won our hearts when he was left for dead by the roadside by thugs who robbed him in November 2017. But, praise God, Jimmy was rescued and slowly made a full recovery. Amina - The Game Changer6
Praise Jimmy grew up on an island on Lake Victoria where his father was pastor to the islands. Jimmy exudes happiness and kindness and the Buyende communities warm to his message about the need to save funds for a “rainy day”, and the importance of cleanliness. Regularly, Jimmy visits boreholes to meet the communities and he has a gift of persuasion to bring them on board. Praise Jimmy - The PersuaderWhen the ED asked Winifred what gave her the deepest satisfaction in her job, she replied with a glint in her eye, “balancing the books!”. Such dedication and integrity are the hallmarks of Madam Kaboyo! In her long, skilful and distinguished service to BT, Winnie exemplies the truth that the Trust itself has to be trustworthy. With Winnie as our Finance Ofcer we can be sure of that. May God Bless Winnie!John came to BT after taking a distinguished law degree at Mukono University. He had long been resident in Jinja, a good friend to Muzungus who had visited the Guest House over several years. A natural farmer, John raised 70 pigs having been donated just two and also a ock of chickens while he was still at school. John is now BT’s Law and Human Resource Ofcer. Having had to struggle with sickness himself, John is sympathetic and caring towards BT’s staff. Winnie - The Balancer of BooksJohn - The Legal Advocate7
As a child, Juliana and her siblings collected water for their teacher father’s cattle and poultry farm every day. Over time, the borehole became problematic, hard to pump with long queues and frequent breakdowns. One day they heard about a new well next to the “Kiss Discotheque”. What a difference! It was so easy to pump, almost never BT Financial Administrator, Juliana, Discovers BT Installed her favourite Shallow Well!broke down and became a social rendezvous and taxi stop. Later, working for BT, Juliana discovered that BT had dug this new well with its Consallen pump. “It is the best!” exclaimed Juliana.Another big vote of thanks to all our BT supporters. What you have made possible over, so far, 40 years continues to be a life changing blessing to hundreds of thousands of Ugandans who benet either from a borehole which BT has rehabilitated with stainless steel, or a shallow well which BT has equipped with the long lasting and excellent Consallen handpump. (Top right: Kiss Discotheque well. The Executive Director was present “some time back” for the commissioning of this amazing hand dug well. It was such a triumph of trust and tenacity! Trust in Dan’s skill and tenacity in digging 60, 70, 80, 90 feet! Imagine digging 60 foot down in a small hole having to bucket up all the earth! But, at last they struck water! Lots of it! Bingo! The Water User Committee proudly maintains its well, ensuring functionality 24/7. It is 105 feet deep, and it never runs dry. The pump handle has been reinforced due to the great depth. It was another team effort starting here in the UK with all you wonderful donors!BT’s Deepest Ever Hand Dug Well at Lukira in Luwero DistrictAbove: Lukira “shallow” well at 105 feet deep!)8
The CMS Well, Iganga, constructed in 1992, in the Simon Kimberley regime, to a depth of 35 ft has never ceased pumping water even during droughts. It has been maintained partly by the water sellers from Iganga who come to ll their jerry cans. An estimate of how much water it has now pumped is 15 jerry cans of 20 litres per hour for 10 hours, over 365 days for 32 years, which comes to: 350,400,000 litres, enough to ll 5,744 swimming pools with clean water and all from one Consallen handpump! Whenever you pass it on the road, you see people pumping water! The ODA, the EU and other agencies gave BT important grants after they had visited this Kimberley regime super well!(Above: The CMS Well in Iganga, still pumping after 32 years.)Pilkingon College, MugulukaThis rst ever BT water source, drilled in February 1984, is 60 feet deep and was tted until 2020 with a handpump. It provided water for a big school community as well as the local population, at least 2,000 people’s needs per day for 36 years. However, the school then tted it with an electric submersible pump and an overhead reservoir tank. It is intended to supply plentiful water for the whole community and school. It works well, except for the disadvantage that the electricity goes off every day! You see, you can’t beat a handpump!(The 1984 Pilkington College borehole with its handpump, which was replaced with an electric submersible pump in 2020.)9
The WASHBET WayIn 2022, following the suggestions from our team on the ground in Uganda, BT expanded our “WASH” programme to “WASHBET” (water, sanitation, hygiene (including menstrual hygiene management (MHM), bees and trees). It has been a huge success and below are some testimonies from the last 6 months. “WA” for Water“S” for Sanitation“We had two incidences of children being attacked by snakes while at the stream and on many occasions leeches have bitten children as they stepped in the stream to collect water for home use and to swim. Children swimming in the water and cows drinking from the same stream made the water dirty for drinking. Therefore, repairing our borehole was a big blessing to our community. Thank you, Busoga Trust.”Nanyanzi Mary, borehole caretaker and elder of Bweramondo village, Kayunga District.“I am standing next to the pit which my family has used as a latrine for a number of years. However, after my interaction with Busoga Trust about the dangers of using such and the comfort of alatrine that has a superstructure with privacy, I pledge to work with the organ-isation to upgrade this pit to a latrine with a door, roof, walls, handwashing facility and installed with a Sato Pan, so that I stop the spread of diseases that are caused by ies that access faeces.”said Moses, Namunyumya A village.(Moses’ (Moses’ current current latrine)latrine)(An example of (An example of an upgraded an upgraded latrine with Sato latrine with Sato Pans installed)Pans installed)10
“One morning on our way to school, my friends told me I had blood on the back of my uniform, it was my rst period. I felt ashamed, cried and ran back home. My mother cut a piece of our house mop to go clean myself and later use as a pad as we had no money to buy sanitary pads! The skills and knowledge I’ve gained from the training will help me make sanitary pads and manage periods well. Thank you Busoga Trust!”“H” for Hygiene“BE” for Bees“Gardening has always been my passion, it helps me support my family. I’m very happy Busoga Trust has come to provide these seedlings, my garden is ready with all the holes lled with manure. Once my bananas are ready for sale, I will be able to meet my obligations as a member of the community of paying water user fees. Because I stay near the borehole, I need to be an example,” said Mrs Kintu Florence, Nawampendo Kisega community.“T” for Trees!“I’m privileged to be part of the bee keeping project, it will boost my income and supplement the nutrition of my family as honey is nutritious and medicinal. The bees will help my gardens to give me a lot of yields. Through the training we received from Busoga Trust, I’m looking forward to be a model bee keeper in my entire sub-county of Makutu and Bugweri District.” said Steven Muwadha.11
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS!£2,500Major Rehabilitation of a Borehole£3,500New Shallow Well£1,500Major Rehabilitation of a Shallow Well£800Minor Rehabilitation of a Shallow Well£1,000Purchase of 2,500 Fruit Tree SeedlingsAll our Busoga Trust’s income comes from private donors. Under 5% goes on administration and fundraising costs. We appreciate every single gift however large or small. Your donation can provide: All rehabilitations and new wells come with the full “WASHBET” package, which includes sanitation, hygiene, bees and trees, and community enrolment into the PBR programme.DONATE TODAYIf you would like to support our work, you can do so by using the details below:Become a regular: Our regular donors are invaluable. You can set up a standing order for any amount with your bank by using the payment details below.Online via our website: www.busogatrust.co.ukBank transfer: The Busoga Trust, Sort Code: 60-07-29, Account #: 39810399Cheque: payable to “The Busoga Trust and sent to our address below.CONTACTEmail: ukhq@busogatrust.co.uk Website: www.busogatrust.co.ukRegistered Address: The Busoga Trust, 82 St John Street, London, EC4M 4JNRegistered Charity Number: 288388