Makuutu

Makuutu, Iganga


The Stephen Young Memorial Project

Water for Kids Chairman, Stephen Young sadly died in 2013 and requested in his will that a suitable project be found in the Iganga District of Uganda for not only the protection of a water source but also a full WASHE project in his memory. This has been made possible due to the added funds raised by his family, friends and WfK members.

Muzamiru Bidondole, our contact in Iganga, who had been requested by Stephen to find a suitable source to protect, identified the community of Makuutu south of the Iganga Township. Muzamiru had chosen this community due to its' lack of provision of any water to the community (600 people) and the Makuutu Primary School, (staff and 757 pupils) who have no other means of getting water except by a poorly protected source some 1.5km from the school only accessible through a swamp.

In March 2014 Peter Minhinnett, Jason Cox & Tom Jackson WfK Trustees visited Makuutu with members of the visiting team from UK and agreed that Makuutu was a good choice for the Project. The team immediately started a full WASHE on what was now the Stephen Young Memorial Project (SYMP). The WfK team carried out the following work:

  • The protection and repair of the existing water source (A)
  • The installation of a rain water harvesting (RWH) system including 2 x 6000lt tanks.
  • The protection and repair of water source (B) also used by over 300 villagers
  • A baseline survey of the community
  • The provision of a water filter for the use of the school to ensure the rain water harvested, is satisfactory for drinking
  • The provision of water storage tanks for hand washing at latrines
  • The provision of drinking water storage tanks for classrooms
  • The provision of hygiene education to staff and school
  • Carried out necessary repairs and improvements to school latrines.