Partnership News Issue 61, Winter 2016
Water Stories of Water Projects
Tisai Island
Ngora Parents School
Mother Union A Force For God
Kumam Childrens Bible
Thanks From Uganda
From the editor Welcome to the latest newsletter from Teso Development Trust (TDT). I have been involved with TDT for over nine years now and am constantly impressed by the ongoing work that is carried out. As the new administrator this is my first newsletter and it has been a joy to gather together the reports for this letter, linking the damp dark winter of the UK to the vibrant warmth of Teso in Uganda. Thanks to some generous donors and our hard working partners in Uganda, we have had a remarkable series of projects this year, in water provision. We love Tisai Island and it is great to hear from Sarah and Jayne who visited during 2016. Clement and Honor Dixon write about their visit to Ngora Parents School. Christine writes about The Mothers Union. And don’t miss the thanks, in his own words, from Joseph. Finally, we cannot ignore the current difficulties faced by everyone in Teso due to food shortages caused by drought. Opio tells his story on the back page and I make no apology if this causes some pain
Phil
Kumam Childrens Bible Work continues on the Kumam Bible translation and the Childrens Bible. Here, and on the front cover of this issue, we can see some pictures drawn by the children in Teso. The idea is to involve the schools in drawing the illustrations for the Childrens Bible. This will therefore involve the whole community in the project and help the children read the stories for themselves.
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Water Water Everywhere Some of the new wells open In Teso in 2016
Happy children In Olwa village
In Olobai and Odela
In Omagoro
In Kamurojo
In Ongere and Akonyakinei
In Agola and Ojeteyang
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Water Projects
by David Watts
What a year for water projects!David Watts explains:It has been a busy year for our work on
improving clean water provision in the villages of Teso. Our focus to support local solutions to local water problems rather than a standard approach has paid off. well .The total achievement of the Trust is now 170 water projects since
A bonanza year! Over the last year we have supported 39 new projects through
Refurbishment of 8 Boreholes
2 new boreholes
27new hand dug wells
2 spring protection works
the year 2000, A total of 103 in the last 5 years. We estimate that 82,000 people will have been provided for .
Keeping them going We ensure that the community is trained and organised to manage the water source once it is completed. An overseeing committee is set up,
collection of money to maintain the By November, 13 projects were
project arranged and a well keeper and
completed and 6 under construction.
technician are trained. Our partners,
We have brought on board a new
working with the local Council water
Partner in the Pentecostal Assemblies
officers, monitor and oversee the
of God in Amuria and Katakwi who
ongoing network.
have completed a borehole and a new
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Water Projects Better sanitation The water programme now includes greater effort on improving hygiene
and sanitation to complement the far better local clean water coming from the new sources. This included the construction of pit latrines in an
significant declines in waterborne diseases. The other benefits of reduction of conflict, the significant lessening of the burden of fetching water from a distance and assisting new income generating projects, have also been seen.
organised way. A big thank you!
All this would not happen without the dedicated efforts of the Church teams in Teso notably the PAG officers Philo Aujo, Sam Emenye, David Okello, Simon Patrick and Church of Uganda’s Moses Egayu and his team. Neither would it have happened without the generous donations of TDT supporters ,Trusts and Churches . New Latrine Covers Having an impact! All this is having an impact. One of our partners PAG (the Pentecostal assemblies of God) reported that local health clinics in the vicinity of the new clean water sources were reporting
Isaiah 43.20
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Water Projects—Thanks from Joseph Opolot internal organs were burning every time I attempted to eat. My wife and the son made some arrangements
without my notice to sell our only bull that we had by then to take me to the hospital for scanning. I was taken
different clinics, Ococha, Soroti and Lira Hospital for scanning and it was found that I had an intestinal infection attributed to a specific worm that is associated with drinking dirty water Joseph Opolot and his wife collecting water
which affected my intestines and called for an operation at Lira Referral
Hospital.
Even after I continued
drinking the same dirty contaminated I am Opolot Joseph 94 years of age a resident of Okerai ‘B’ married to Asao Teresa 82 years with one son. After insurgency in 2005 I returned with my family to the village from Obalanga
camp to resettle in our village with a lot of difficulties ranging from food, water, and health care. It was unfortunate on
my side that I developed sickness that started like stomach ache. As time went on it became worse and I could not eat or drink because I felt my
water and I could fall sick rapidly in a
month I could fall sick three (3) times. This has made me too weak to cultivate food for our support in a family. These days because of shortage of food I have even grown weary and weak but I always pray and God answers my prayers. At one point I had no food to
feed on but I received food form my TDT friends. Now days I drink clean water and I don’t fall sick often.
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Water Projects—Thanks From Joseph Opolot I can see tomorrow today it’s no longer a dream because of the’ slap’ of the borehole from my loving friends from TDT through their PAG-KIDO. For that reason it’s my prayer that God continues to provide and protect PAG-KIDO and TDT UK. I want to take this opportunity to thank my friends from PAG-KIDO and TDT UK for the borehole and food. You have walked into my life when the whole world was walking away. Long live!
Opolot enjoys a drink of water
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Story of a water project There are many needs for clean water in Teso but there is a lot of work required to make the provision of clean water a reality. I am reading a report from one of our partners, PAG in Katakwi, about the borehole refurbishments. I will extract the headings and some significant sentences for you so you can see the work involved
The Drilling Rig Starts Work But only once the local community are fully involved.
Establishment of the water user committee The main function of a water committee is to manage the community water system: by overseeing day-to-day operations and setting policies, such as whether and how much to charge for usage to cover future maintenance costs. Water management committees also promote health and sanitation education in the community by passing on the knowledge members gained during trainings, as part of project implementation Water site surveying Drilling and installation of the borehole Community involvement in infrastructure supervision allows the community to understand and oversee the implementation of infrastructure, and contributes also to the community’s sense of ownership and enables future management. Training of the water user committee This training was to equip the committee with skills and knowledge on the management of the facility and the issues/conflicts that may arise in the use of the facility.
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Story of a water project The report continues 
Borehole launch and handing to the community

Monitoring

Lessons Learned 1.
The role of a water committee extends beyond mere management and logistics. It also serves to elevate the position of women within the community, as we require the composition of the committee be at least 50 % female.
2.
Establishing leadership roles for women within project requirements helps to facilitate a shift in attitudes on gender and traditional roles, allowing for greater social mobility. When women serve on water committees, it gives them more power and influence, which creates a ripple effect of change in a community.
This work of engaging the community is a key to the way our partners work and ensures that the water supply is cared for by the community in the long term. It also opens the way to involve the community in other lifesaving projects,
such as sanitation, improved farming methods, health and
The Local community are providing materials and labour for much of the finishing works.
education. Often the provision
of a well is just the beginning of a community becoming empowered in its own development.
Tisai Island During our first visit to Uganda in July 2016 the most moving experience was travelling to Tisai Island. This island is truly the land that time forgot. Situated in the middle of a swamp and only accessible by boat, the island has; no fresh water, medical facilities or infrastructure. Up to 200 children are taught by one unqualified teacher who does not get paid a wage, in the open
air underneath mango trees or a rudimentary shelter (funded by TDT) . He teaches purely to help improve the lives of the children on the island. The school is situated in the middle of the island approximately 2km away from the pupil’s nearest source of water - swamp water. The children collect and drink the dirty water when
10 By Sally Squires and Jane Henson
they return home. Typhoid, HIV, Dysentery and Malaria are rife. During our visit we were asked to help teach the children but we felt unable to use our normal teaching methodologies, involving active learning, as the children would soon tire from lack of water or shade. As we left the island we left them with the little water that we had. Travelling back to the mainland we questioned Rev’d Charles, the Education Director for the region who had organised our visit and itinerary. What could be done to help? He explained that due to the island’s water level they could not have a well. He explained that harvesting rain water was the best option. He explained how a water tank could be shipped to the school, across the difficult terrain to the island by canoe and then dragged by Ox to the school. Using the shelter previously funded by TDT, water could be drained into the tank.
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Tisai Island
The Water Tank Arrives by Boat
We quickly decided to double the fundraising money we had generated so that Charles’ idea could be put into effect. A few weeks after our return to the UK we were overwhelmed to see Charles’ email , containing photographs of the water container being shipped to the island by canoe. We were amazed to see that 8 weeks after leaving Uganda, our vision for clean water for the children of Tisai was already being put into place. This amazing news has inspired us further. We are now fundraising, with the schools and wider community of Ruddington, for food
for the island so that the as many children as possible are able to continue We cannot wait to visit Tisai Island again next year and to continue our fundraising work, in addition to educating the children here about life in Uganda. Water Tank Installed Plus Gutters
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Clement Visits Ngora Seven Times
by Clement Dixon
This was our seventh visit to Ngora after my first in 1994 to help refurbish the Ngora Girls Secondary School. On this occasion it was our pleasure to be accompanied by two schoolteachers from Ruddington, Sally Squires and Jayne Henson, who both write elswhere in this Newsletter of their first experience of Teso life, particularly in primary schools. Over the years Honor and I have become greatly attached to and fully supportive of The Ngora Parents' Secondary School. The School has grown both in size and academic status . since its inception in 1997, from 200 students, to it's current roll of over 800, all of whom study a wide variety of subjects to the equivilant of our GCSE and 'A' level.
.
Clement, Honor, Sally and Jayne travel to Tisai Island like real African explorers.
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Ngora Parents School Many buildings have been added and, in recent times, a hostel has been provided on the campus to house 120 girls, who find if impossible to travel to and from school on a daily basis Many buildings have been added and, in recent times, a hostel has been provided on the campus to house 120 girls, who find if impossible to travel to and from school on a daily basis.
Many thanks to our good friend, Revd. Charles Oode, for overseeing the above projects and also for his organisation of a small conference for Lay Readers held in the Centre at St. Philip's Cathedral, which was funded by money raised at St. Peter's Church, Ruddington.
We are most grateful for all his help to Sally, Jayne and ourselves during our hugely enjoyable and productive visit. Charles is the Education Coordinator for Kumi Diocese.
Currently, a building containing two new classrooms and a staff room, is nearing completion and we hope to show photographs in the next edition of the Newsletter. In the meantime here are some photographs of recently acquired dustbins which, when placed around the campus will, we hope, help students to not only keep the environment clean, but encourage them to take pride in their school.
The Ngora Parents School has been supported by Clement and Honor for over 20 years. It is a remarkable story of commitment and tenacity which has enabled good education of thousands of children and will carry on into the future providing hope to many more.
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A Force for Good
The Mothers Union is a force for good and for God in Soroti. Here Christine Moyes (Bournemouth) talks about how she has partnered with them to make a difference.
by Christine Moyes
It is a few years ago now that we first visited some of the Mothers’ Union groups in Teso and witnessed some the amazing work that they do. Led by the Florence, the wife of the Bishop of Soroti, not only do they support and pray for each other, but they have many practical projects to support their families and their incomes. These include mushrooms farms, bakery and hand- made necklacesDue to the local market being over supplied with necklaces, the women were becoming depressed about the lack of sales. This is where we stepped in! As the jewellery is easy to transport in our suitcases, we offered to bring some home with us to sell through our churches. The response has been wonderful. We don’t charge a set price but give a guide price of the cost of a mosquito net in Teso (£3/ £4). It makes us smile to see our friends and families wearing these lovely items. The money raised is sent to Mothers’ Union, via TDT, in support of all their work and this has been a simple but effective way of working together. As with all the work of TDT, it’s about giving hand-ups not handouts.
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Please Help…. Famine continues I am Opio David I have gone through many challenges in this village since I was born in 1952; from Karamojong raids, UPA and LRA rebels, water logging and the current tense drought When I grew up we used to grow millet, cassava, sim-sim, ground nuts, maize, green grams, cow peas., and could get in plenty and would store in granaries. We had enough food to eat and we used to sell to Karamoja and we would still be okay. This year we had rains thrice in the first season and twice for the second season. People had done cultivation but unfortunately the drought hit hard this village and the neighborhoods and has rendered us helpless and food insecure because we harvested nothing. Currently the big portion of the population survives on fishing because they sell some of their fish catch to the market and they buy dry cassava for food .For me to be in position alive up to now I sold my piece of plot at 750,000shs to purchase cassava and beans for my small family. And I am not certain of what will happen after this. This drought has added us more injuries, after last year’s water logging that made us to lose all our cassava gardens and this year the village had no planting materials and as for now the whole village is suffering from what to eat and only waiting for the cassava TDT gave us to mature. I heaped some potatoes with the vines provided by PAG-KIDO AND TDT but if it continues being dry their very little hopes of getting tubers from them. I pray to God every evening before I sleep, that ‘Oh Lord now I lay down to sleep I pray lord my soul to keep and if I die before I wake I pray lord my soul to take.’
Do Something TDT has partners who work effectively in relief to the most vulnerable people at these times. We have sent some small grants to both provide relief and also to build resilience. Some of the larger agencies have moved on to help the crises in Sudan and DRC which has left a gap in Teso. Do consider if you can help.
Contact Us…. For more information about our projects or how you can partner with us please contact Philip Good - TDT Coordinator
01258 817674
Hatherly Meadow, Stoke Wake, Blandford Forum, Dorset. DT11 0HF. info@teso.org.uk/ philipgood@email.com www.teso.org.uk TDT is a membership association and individuals directly donating £10 or more in a year to TDT funds or campaigns will become a member for that year and the next.
Get Involved Dr Frank Guinness
Management Committee
Christine Moyes
Chairman Jim Sampson 2 Homefield, Cupernham Green Romsey, Hampshire SO51 7WG 01794 514722 jimandjanet@talktalk.net
By giving a little to TDT you can join with hundreds of others who believe that when many give a little it can go a long way. If you would like to give a regular or one-off gift please complete the ‘response sheet’ included with this news letter.
Hon Treasurer Andrew Third Old Garth, 1 Moor Lane Gotham, Nottingham NG11 0LH 0115 983 1205 andrew.third@integracommunications.co.uk
Hon Secretary and Projects and Fundraising Dave Watts 24 Sandhurst Avenue, Stourbridge West Midlands DY9 0XL 01384 376494 david@drwatts.co.uk Dr Hugh Mason
Florence Odeke
Alternatively, we can match you to a practical project that is right for you! We are currently looking for churches or organisations that are interested in sponsoring the following projects: Village Savings And Loans Associations, Food Security projects, Skills Training for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Water Boreholes and Wells.
Rev Robert de Berry A Registered Charity 1005139 HMRC number XN84557