Before drilling of boreholes in Bulike, its residents drew their water solely from contaminated ponds and swamps which they shared with animals. This water exposed them to a number of water-borne diseases, and without any medical care in the village, at least one person died of an illness every day.
Uganda Counseling and Support Services (UCSS) moved in with a drilling rig and started drilling boreholes for the people in the community.
So far we’ve drilled 13 boreholes, and they’ve become reliable water sources whereas the swamps dried up in the dry seasons and only provided water in the rainy seasons.
However, during the period between November 2016 and February 2017, there was devastating drought, and unusually long queues of people were observed at the boreholes.The borehole which usually serves about 400 people was serving upwards of 600 people which brought a burden on the time, productivity, as well as put a strain on the efficiency and maintenance of existing boreholes.
The drought led to a decrease in the amount of water produced by the boreholes. All the other sources of water i.e. the swamps and ponds also dried up. Therefore a significant number of residents had to walk extraordinarily long distances to access any quality of water.
UCSS is in the best position ever to solve the above challenges because we have a water well drilling rig, which has brought down the cost of drilling from $6,000 to $2,500. Nevertheless, we are in need of an air compressor and related drilling in order to provide more clean water sources in this area in rural Uganda.
If God is moving you to support this ministry, there are three things you can do now:
- Make a donation
- Request to have me speak to your church or group
- Ask how you can get involved.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support!
Dr. Ronald Kaluya