Clean water for families in Uganda

Two water tanks for pupils at the Rwaburindi Primary School and its neighbouring households

Clean water is considered a privilege for many families in Uganda. Drinking water and water for washing is often untreated and this can cause disease and even prove life-threatening. In order to improve the living standards of lots of people, the Greenfinity Foundation, in conjunction with the Jane Goodall Institute, launched a project to ensure clean drinking water supply in Uganda.

Rwaburindi Primary School

The Rwaburindi Primary School is one of a group of schools supported by the government and is located in an area of Uganda where a significant number of people belonging to the Batwa, a socially and economically marginalised ethnic group, live. The school houses predominantly Bakiga as well as the ethnic minority, the Batwa. It was only recently that the educational institution received funds from the World Bank which made it possible to build a series of teaching blocks.

However, the school is still up against huge problems: As the closest potable water source is approximately ten kilometres away, it is incredibly difficult to gain access to drinking water. It is nearly impossible to ensure sufficient water supply for the 388 pupils enrolled at the school.

Relief for Neighbouring Households

Water scarcity affects not only the but also the surrounding area. Whilst those who are better-off can afford houses with corrugated iron roofs which are designed to catch rain water, the Batwa often live in substandard housing which cannot provide this.

The Greenfinity Foundation’s collaborative project with the Jane Goodall Institute should provide relief and ensure a clean drinking water supply for both the Rwaburindi Primary School’s pupils and the neighbouring Batwa households.

20,000 Litres of Water

During the course of the project, two water tanks will be made available, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres each. These will be regularly inspected and, if necessary, cleaned.

As the project location is very rural – it’s located near the Echuya Central Forest Reserve in South West Uganda – the atmosphere is relatively free of pollutants in comparison to urban areas. Rainwater in this region is, as a result, realtively clean and requires no special pre-treatment before use. Irrespective of a wire mesh which is placed over the tank inlet to filter out larger objects such as leaves, no further measures need be put in place.

Due to the gradual accumulation of dust particles which enter the atmosphere on air currents and then infiltrate rainwater sources, the tank requires cleaning on an annual basis. This can be done during the dry season in January as the pupils are on school holidays during this period.

Training Sessions and Volunteers

Granting access to water sources is not enough – beneficiaries also need to understand how to manage their water. For this reason, training sessions are on offer at the Rwaburindi Primary School which aim to teach pupils, teachers and other employees about “WASH” (= Water, Sanitation, Hygiene). Furthermore, several volunteers in each village will be asked to help the Batwa households to follow essential hygiene guidelines and use water sensibly.

Due to improved access to clean drinking water and higher standards of personal hygiene and sanitary facilities, the risk of disease caused by untreated water, can be reduced and even eradicated. This also helps to preserve vegetation and species diversity in the region.

Pictures on this page: © Jane Goodall Institute

Projekt Info

Project Goals

Ensure a clean drinking water supply for people in the region
Prevent diseases caused by untreated water
Improve standards of hygiene and sanitary facilities
Ensure the continued survival of the region’s native population
Preserve vegetation and species diversity by providing an improved water supply and ensuring higher standards of hygiene in the region (disease, untreated drinking and waste water influence both flora and fauna)

Projekt Location

Rwaburindi Primary School and the Rwamahano village in South West Uganda (near the Echuya Central Forest Reserve)

Project period

November 2019 - January 2020

Convenantee group

388 pupils (211 of them girls) from the Rwaburindi Primary School in Uganda, 20 neighbouring Batwa households and the inhabitants of the Rwamahano village (circa 60 Batwa households reside in this village)

Project partner

Jane Goodall Institute – Austria