VisionFund water tanks saved us from the dry spells

Lwamaggwa, a water-stressed area located in Rakai District in the south of Uganda, is home to about 50,000 residents. Dorothy is one of the many who have always faced the challenge of access to clean water. The district does not have many natural water sources and this therefore means that during the hot weather, residents have to travel long distances to access clean water for daily consumption as well as to share with animals.

When World Vision and VisionFund conducted a WASH training in the Lwamaggwa Area Program, Dorothy took an interest in taking a WASH loan to get better access to water, especially for the restaurant business that she owns in the area. With the help of a VisionFund loan, she was able to acquire a 10,000-litre tank that was set up at her restaurant. She is grateful that despite the water stress that currently exists in the area, she is able to harvest safe and clean water during rainy days which she and the family use for domestic purposes. The water is also very essential to her business - such as the preparing food and handwashing for hygiene at her restaurant.

Dorothy is eager to acquire a second water tank with which she will start the business of selling water to households for a small sum. She is hopeful that with the help of the World Vision and VisionFund WASH project in Lwamaggwa and Kyalulangira Area Programs, the region will significantly find alternative sources of clean water. This will also reduce domestic problems that are associated with children and girls fetching water from very far places, compromising their safety and security. Dorothy currently uses earnings from her restaurant business to pay school fees for her children and support her family.

The tank that Dorothy acquired using the VisionFund loan

Lwamaggwa, a water-stressed area located in Rakai District in the south of Uganda, is home to about 50,000 residents. Dorothy is one of the many who have always faced the challenge of access to clean water. The district does not have many natural water sources and this therefore means that during the hot weather, residents have to travel long distances to access clean water for daily consumption as well as to share with animals.

When World Vision and VisionFund conducted a WASH training in the Lwamaggwa Area Program, Dorothy took an interest in taking a WASH loan to get better access to water, especially for the restaurant business that she owns in the area. With the help of a VisionFund loan, she was able to acquire a 10,000-litre tank that was set up at her restaurant. She is grateful that despite the water stress that currently exists in the area, she is able to harvest safe and clean water during rainy days which she and the family use for domestic purposes. The water is also very essential to her business - such as the preparing food and handwashing for hygiene at her restaurant.

Dorothy is eager to acquire a second water tank with which she will start the business of selling water to households for a small sum. She is hopeful that with the help of the World Vision and VisionFund WASH project in Lwamaggwa and Kyalulangira Area Programs, the region will significantly find alternative sources of clean water. This will also reduce domestic problems that are associated with children and girls fetching water from very far places, compromising their safety and security. Dorothy currently uses earnings from her restaurant business to pay school fees for her children and support her family.

Story and photos by: Francis Kizito, VisionFund Uganda