Uganda, Water to Thrive, Lifeline Fund, 2013 (40 images)

Clean drinking water is a catalyst for health, gender equality, improved education and economic development. Women and children generally bear the burden of the long walks to collect water but with water nearby they have a little more time, freedom and opportunities. Women are expected to do all the chores from childcare, cooking and cleaning while the husbands work the fields or other jobs. Many men in Northern Uganda don’t have regular work because the area is still rebuilding after 2...
more »

Clean drinking water is a catalyst for health, gender equality, improved education and economic development. Women and children generally bear the burden of the long walks to collect water but with water nearby they have a little more time, freedom and opportunities. Women are expected to do all the chores from childcare, cooking and cleaning while the husbands work the fields or other jobs. Many men in Northern Uganda don’t have regular work because the area is still rebuilding after 2 decades of civil war. The single greatest cause of endemic diarrhea is poor hygiene but it also results from the worms and parasites found in dirty water. Half of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to a safe water source and is reduced to drinking from stagnant ponds or puddles of water.


At dusk, in this photo, 16 year-old Emily pumps two jerry cans full of clean, safe water that will last her family half the day tomorrow, when she or her younger sister will need to return to the well for more. Water to Thrive and its partner in the field, International Lifeline Fund, requires the beneficiary community to assist in the borehole production effort by, clearing the area of brush to prepare for drilling, fetching water for the drilling operation, mixing concrete, and building a protective fence around the site, even before the hand pump is installed. This process instills community ownership and accountability for the well project, resulting in a more successful and sustainable well.
« less