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