WASH Kikondo

Foundations for the Water Unit house

The Thursday and Friday before Christmas I finally had the chance to go to the site of our first TradeWater project - Kikondo. Ritah and I did the typical two days preliminary water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) training. We sent the equipment there with the technicians in their vehicles, and we ourselves went by boat. After the generator failed us half way through teaching on the first day, we gave up on it and stuck to our basic teaching tools of poster paper and WaSH game cards. The first day we teach on water sources, contamination, disease, treatment, and keeping the water clean (collection and storage containers). This always makes for good discussion and gives us a chance to gauge where the community is at in their home hygiene habits.

Each group presents their collective views,
and we work through it together

Crowding in



Managed to get the kids stand back a few steps so I could
"beat them with the camera" (that's the literal translation)


The second day we get into more details of hygiene and sanitation, and how little fecal matter is needed to make you drink down disease. The ladies were a little slow to gather on the second day when we arrived; the kids sure noticed us quickly, and bombarded me. Fortunately, I really like kids, I think they're fun. However, having several kids hanging off each arm and trying to be the closest one to me is no simple task, lol. They were poking my skin and watching it change colour. Then we'd poke their skin and see that it was consistent in colour. Ah, the little things. I did discover though, after having my fingers pulled at for a while, that their palms change colour when prodded at. (Try it now if you don't recall: the colour goes away leaving a white shade, which slowly fades away. It's even more impressive if you're a bit cold because you get some purple in there too - as I did on this day.)


Not that many ladies came, a dozen at our peak, so we just gathered on a verandah. It was a nice setting actually, because everyone could sit down together and work as one team. I was quite horrified that they had no idea what constituted good sanitation facilities, or practice in the lack of facilities. You should pray with me for Kikondo!

The men were better educated regarding hygiene and sanitation behaviours. I guess because men are prioritised in families sending the kids to school; girls are needed to help in the home and garden. Growing up in an under-developed community is not a joke - and Kikondo is just across the waters from Jinja. In the words of my young teenage cousin in-law as she looked in exasperation at us adults making fools of ourselves, dancing on Thanksgiving, "God should help us!".


We've also done our final interviews for the Water Agent, who will head up the water business in the beneficiary community. We're just trying to get a hold of her (yes, it's a lady) to inform her, which is being done via the local chairman because she doesn't have a phone. I'll tell you her name when it's confirmed. I had such a great feeling about this lady, so I'm very happy. She has a big responsibility of being a vessel of transformation in her community, so please be praying for her specifically over the next couple of months. Exciting times!

Emily Nabirye



Kiiza holding the "flower" the kids gave me



Christmas Dresses

Tea time at our place

Nangiro helps Muya take tea

I got a lovely surprise Saturday lunch time. Bryan and I had planned to meet Steve, Kelly and Amulet out for lunch, but then Kelly was ill and Fausta arrived to wash our clothes. (We met Fausta through Steve and Kelly, whom she works for and they have offered her family care in desperate times.) I made a quick visit to greet Kelly, then Steve, Amulet and I headed to Bryan and my place. When we arrived at the door, we were greeted by 3 grinning girls, sloshing around the tea Bryan had prepared for them as they ran to us. Fausta had dressed her two elder daughters in the Christmas dresses we bought them in America. We all ate lunch together, and I had the chance to play with the kids while Steve and Bryan chatted. Jude has a large yard, a swing, and a wheel barrow, plus we have a ball - what more could a few kids need for hours of fun!

Nangiro Grace and Lapuche Gift on Amulet on the swing

Fausta and almost 2 year old Muya

This little family has had such a rough run, please pray for Fausta's family to be blessed (with healing, encouragement and provision) by the little income and love we offer them.

I had fun teaching the girls to catch and throw

In the evening I went with Ashley and her girls Diana and Agnes; a somewhat recovered Kelly, Amulet and some others to watch Diana, and Jeremy and Tamara's daughter Gloria in their first ever Christmas play. I love kids plays, the enthusiasm they present the songs with, how they carefully recite their lines, and the opportunity they have to learn the messages of the story by all the practice that goes into the presentation. (Unfortunately, the couple of photos I took were rubbish so you'll have to imagine.)  

Amulet is like a big brother to the girls,
it's so beautiful

Enjoy this blessed season!

Emily

LL Training

You must all be very excited - less than 2 weeks until Christmas! Are you feeling joyous and appreciative?!


This is Rogers, now the Water Agent Manager
The Water Agent is the local employee that runs TW on the ground



The new WMI project model "TradeWater" is under construction and about to be launched. An engineer from Grundfos Kenya is out training some of us WMU staff on how to use the LifeLink unit (water dispensing unit). Bryan has been putting the system together for a couple of weeks now, with wiring, internet connection, and other technically challegning things. Those of us in community development will know the summarised version. We now know bits about wiring, connecting to the server, payment operations, and general set-up. It's an exciting endeavour. The guys were even saying that because of the high-tech yet simple to use nature of the new equipment, we're even going to see men collecting water! Or at least going with their wives so they can push the buttons.

I can't wait for the new accountable, accessible water service to be in full operation.

 

This is the box that contains the computer of the unit, slot for the sim card, wiring to connect the solar panels and pump, and connection to the battery back-up. The system remains operational for 5 days if the sun or solar panels break down, so there is a very low chance of water not being available, technically speaking.

In training in the WMU office



This is the accountant, Maria.
She is a lovely person and hard worker.



Tomorrow, Maria and I will plan for the staff Christmas party for Thursday afternoon. Fun! We already had cake on Monday (Bryan and I bought it for Will's birthday), chocolates from the visitors, now a Christmas party... the staff should feel well bonded over fun times at the end of this. We need more of a fun, team feel to the place!

Love Emily

'Giant K'

This here is 'Giant K'...


At least that's how the Lwanika village mad man introduced himself to me. We met yesterday when I was taking our donor visitors, Kyle and Darryl, around to some WMU project sites. Between the odd chatter, abrupt manner (such as jumping infront of the camera when Darryl was photographing our workers, behind), wounds, puss, stench, and uncomfortably low trouser line, he wasn't exactly drawing people to himself. The kids, who formed our large entourage as we moved around the village to see the layout of the safe water system and distribution, ran every time he came near.


I am of the view that mad people are generally treated worse than their actions call for. So with my fellow WMU worker Shalvin close by, I made sure to set an example to the kids that you can be nice to someone without being overly friendly. To go down to the lake we needed to go down a steep slope. 'Giant K' took my hand to "help" me; I could just see us rolling down in a heap, and eased my way backwards onto a rock, encouraging him to go down by himself slowly, slowly. Shalvin then helped me from my retreat position. Giant K' took off to help the kids hold up the intake pipe for the men to row it out into the lake (explanation: WMU uses lake water, and positions the intake pipe about 100m out from the shoreline). Ironically, he was the only one giving the kids clear instructions, and I found out later that he also told off the adults on the shore for watching the kids do all the work. Too funny!

My opportunity came when the intake pipe work was done, and the kids were gathered around in a circle, chatting with me. 'Giant K' came and sat himself down in the middle of us. Perfect! He pointed out his horrible, infected, open wounds and said they hurt (no kidding!). I offered to pray for him - that's what I'd been waiting for. Yeah! He said yes, and I told the kids that we were going to pray for him. They closed their eyes, and I prayed for the Kingdom to come upon him, to bring a change to his heart, mind and body, and for the healing of his wounds - the normal things one prays. 

You can see why I crave the field work, right; it's all the in-between "work" moments that make up the experience and the influence we are able to have.
"Little things" are so important.

Emily

Back in Ug

Just before we went to the US, WMU had a visitor from Grundfos Denmark come to visit to learn about the TradeWater project. Louise was so positive and inspired, and I was (with permission) able to share a lot of community development ideas in terms of WASH training. After being in Uganda she was going to Kenya, and so wanted to have some alternative views on how to operate their community-minded business. It was a mutually beneficial trip. We took her to the nearby projects of Ntinkalu, which is almost finished, and Musuli, one of the early projects.

Of course I loved having the opportunity to be out in the villages! With the kids!

Bryan and I got back to Jinja Tuesday morning, around 4am. Our home was just as we left it... without power or gas.  Diesel is being rationed December-January, power is out daily, water goes off too (happens when power is off consistently), and we're yet to find who we can overpay to have our gas re-filled. For me personally it's not that big a deal, but for people like Jude (the friend who we stay with and rent off) business depends on it.

We went back to work on Tuesday. We arrived on time, but tiredness got the better of us and we went home to sleep at 2pm. The first site for the TradeWater pilot projects is starting soon! The village is called Kikondo; it's in Buikwe District. The leaders have been well informed and consulted, the MOU has been signed, the land purchased, and we are in the process of identifying the Water Agent. Construction of the water system, bathrooms, and phone charging set-up starts Monday. A couple of the guys from Grundfos Kenya are coming to train the team on how to install and operate the LifeLink unit this weekend. It will be good for Bryan to be able to be out in the field, putting his engineering skills to use. I think I'll get to go out and do the WASH trainings with Ritah, but otherwise I'm here in the office. Oh, the office.

Bryan and David at the Yokum Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe the year is almost up. Bryan and I will spend Christmas with some American and Canadian friends. We haven't organised the menu yet, but we've opted not to buy a chicken or a goat because it's so much effort. We want to be able to go to church, be merry and chill out. Can't go too wrong on Christmas though, right!