The Impact of Clean Water

Over the years, we have carefully tracked the incidence of waterborne diseases among the communities we partner with. When it comes to waterborne illness, whether or not a household has experienced diarrhea in the past month is a key indicator of whether or not our Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (W.A.S.H.) efforts are effective.

Over the past three years, we have seen a 96.6% reduction in diarrhea across the households we partner with.

2021: 12,000 households experienced a 97% decline in the incidence of diarrhea
2022: 13,500 households experienced a 97% decline in the incidence of diarrhea
2023: 16,500 households experienced a 96% decline in the incidence of diarrhea

Bujwaala Primary School

In 2021, we built a rain-water harvesting tank at the Bujwaala Primary School and ran extensive SODIS, hygiene, and sanitation training for the teachers and for the students. We also built a Menstrual Hygiene Management Room to provide privacy and basic materials like reusable pads for young women to manage their periods safely. 

Okiya

In some parts of Uganda, surface water isn’t available all year long. The rainy season brings months of rain that fill the valleys, ponds and watering holes, but when it stops, the dry season lasts for months. These water sources can dry out before the rains return. The people and animals in these regions suffer greatly without water. And SODIS is only effective if people can find water to fill bottles and jerry cans.

In these places the WaterSchool team has implemented rainwater catchment tanks or in some cases boreholes dug into the earth to access underground springs.

In Okiya, WaterSchool dug a borehole in 2021 that transformed life for all 2,500 residents, from the youngest to the oldest community members.

Mawero Primary School

In many of the communities we serve, the arrival of a girl’s period can keep her from receiving the education she deserves. It can even cause her to drop out of school. Without access to clean and effective pads, facilities to change, safe ways to wash or dispose of pads, and access to soap and clean water to clean up and wash their hands, managing their periods at school can be an overwhelming challenge.

WaterSchool has brought our unique approach to providing clean water into schools and is a trusted partner. To reduce girls’ embarrassment, fear, anxiety and distraction at school, WaterSchool has gone one step further to also provide dedicated rooms stocked with reusable pads, painkillers and hygiene products to ensure that girls can stay in school. Period.

Ecwaku & Family

Without understanding why clean water and good sanitation and hygiene practices are important, Ecwaku, her husband and her children were living with regular bouts of diarrhea and most of the family had worms. Thinking that it was bad luck or witchcraft, the family spent lots of their money on witch doctors who promised to alleviate their suffering.