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Update on Water Project in Western Uganda

Summary:  Our Community Water Filtration System in Western Uganda--co-sponsored by SARS and WorldHope Corps-- has been stalled due to an equipment breakdown and the need for an adequate generator in the rural trading center of Katira (with a population of over 5,000 families without clean water or electricity).   Although a new pump (the third pump since we opened the water store) was supplied by donors several months ago, and other repairs were made, we still need a generator with enough capacity to pump water for the entire community.  Our Water Store is currently closed as we await a solution to the problem.  We have already invested over $30,000 in this project over the past three years, and it looks like another $5,000 is needed this year.   

Here is Brother Julius’s project update and plea for help:

I must state that am sorry for the long silence. However it was not deliberate because the state in which we are in is the worst ever.  And our projects are stalled. We only have water in the tank for maintaining the filtration machine and selling out to limited customers as way of minimizing pumping costs. We have been waiting for hydro electric power for along time as has been promised by government, but since then there are no evident signs of power supply. The Ugandan economy is the worst ever in my life, food prices have gone high, produced goods have escalated, services have a higher price tag, and basically there is very little in our hands.

The last funds we received from donors was $2000 which we matched with our savings and local community contribution for Pump replacement.  The new pump was properly installed and is functioning properly. However, we have no funding to purchase an appropriate size power generator which will cost $4200. Our local account is holding $450.  I have been struggling to find money that  can add up to buy a new power system because I have a lot of pressure from the community and the people who are experiencing a serious drought.  Ours is the only borehole functioning.


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There is a serious water crisis in Katikara, and I am almost ashamed of visiting the site until I can help solve the problem.
Julius Kasaija, CEO - SARS Uganda

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