EATBETA’s mission is to transform rural livelihoods by alleviating unemployment, food and water shortage in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa. This past summer, a team of volunteers traveled to Uganda from USA to participate, as trainers, in EATBETA’s third annual summer mission. The mission, which took place from July 29 to August 9, 2019, was successfully accomplished, and listed below are key highlights of the mission’s accomplishments:
- 212 trainees participated in training workshops conducted at three different rural locations: Kiteezi village in Wakiso district, Bendegere village in Nakaseke district, and Butabala village in Kamuli district.
- This year’s training theme was “Farming as a Business.” Most rural farmers undertake farming in order to have food for their own consumption. They sell any excess for income, used primarily for household necessities. EATBETA would like to see Ugandan rural farmers treating farming as a profitable and sustainable business venture.
- Six of the eight hand-dug water wells which have been constructed to-date were launched. Training and outreach activities were conducted in the localities where the water wells were launched.
The summer mission was epitomized by the launching of six hand-dug water wells (boreholes) which will provide clean water to those rural areas where lack of clean water has been a persistent problem. Availing Ugandan rural areas with clean water is a critical part of EATBETA’s mission and efforts. Our goal is to construct more water wells, particularly in the villages where EATBETA carries out training and outreach programs. EATBETA’s programs are much more successful in rural communities where we establish water wells. In constructing a hand-dug water well, the villagers are involved in the process; either by digging the hole themselves or by providing local materials, such as bricks or sand, needed in the construction of the well. Then EATBETA uses funds raised through donations, to build the water well and to purchase materials which the villagers cannot afford—such as cement, hand pumps, water tanks, pipes, etc. Involving the villagers yields two important benefits. Firstly, villagers take ownership of the project and they feel engaged in the process. Secondly, it helps to minimize the construction cost to about $2,000 per well.
I can’t begin to describe the joy that is expressed by the villagers in elaborate celebrations when a water well is launched in their community. More importantly, the availability of clean water enables rural communities to avoid infections and diseases resulting from using stagnant pond water.
More details about the water well project are available at www.eatbeta.org/water-wells
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