TapStand | Volume 5 Edition 2

Water is Life. Water is Life.

Everything is Within Your Power, and Your Power is Within You

Ambrose Bigaba | Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, ACTS Uganda

In February, the ACTS team attended the Masha Project Celebration along with thousands of others to commemorate the achievement of the Healthy Hygiene Village status for 17 communities.

Author Janice Trachtman says, “Everything is within your power, and your power is within you.” For our team, this achievement has a deep and far-reaching meaning. It’s a testament to the power that lies within communities when they can access clean, safe water while enjoying the benefits of good sanitation and hygiene at home. Latrines constructed by community members, as well as school latrines with handwashing stations that provide privacy and are inclusive of children with disabilities, further demonstrate this.

The process of reaching Healthy Hygiene status starts with communities being engaged to participate in activities, learning new behaviours, practicing those behaviours, and passing sub-county, district, and national verification.

But, the perseverance pays off, and communities are overjoyed at their success. Since the project goals were achieved in partnership, they come to realize, "everything was within their power and their power was within them.”

The Director of Field Operations shared: “It's upon the district and community members to maintain the sanitation and hygiene level reached during the project implementation to sustain the infrastructure developed and for improved health.

You could feel the gratitude in the gifts of song that day, praising the team for the wonderful work done. Rachel, the WASH Coordinator, and Richard DJ (Lead Community Mobilizer) were of special attention for the success they led the communities towards. Two elderly grandmothers sang of their joy for the partnership with ACTS, the reduction of disease, and the increase of their life on earth!

The District Chief Administrative Officer encouraged the communities to ensure the water, sanitation, and hygiene knowledge is used well, keeping their environment healthy and free from open defecation. He expressed thanks for the ongoing work by ACTS and ensured government support for safe water and sanitation in the rural communities of his district.

The ACTS’ model involving community participation enables willing contribution and significant investments in the idea of the supply of clean and safe water. That, coupled with sanitation and hygiene, is amazing! Community members donate their own land to host the water system for the greater good of bringing clean water to their villages - such a significant expression of the trust between community members and ACTS. We steward that trust with great responsibility.

Pipelines + Pathways: Following the flow of your generosity

October 2022

A quick summary of project progress thanks to your kind support.

Sweeter Water (Masha Project) commissioned [97 taps, 9 latrines, 1 new water system and 1 retrofit serving 20,000 people]

Broke ground in Kanywambogo (Ibanda District Project) + Kanywameizi (Isingiro District Project)

Grandmothers sing a song of appreciation

Ministry Environmental Assistant shares

Rachel, WASH Coordinator, hands out gifts Cleophas' community reaches Healthy Hygiene Status

The Power of a Pipe Dream

Jeff Golby | CEO

The community of Irimya has captured our hearts and our attention.

This area where we've just broken ground on our next project is more remote than any other place we've worked before. After traversing through Kicuzi (the area where our last new water system was built), we climbed further up a hill, down a boulder path then through a vine-filled forest filled with wildlife. Eventually, we emerged from the trees to see a stunning view of villages scattered throughout the valley, with majestic Lake George in the distance.

Irimya is a strategic priority. It represents getting almost complete water coverage for the district. Building off of Kicuzi, it covers a region the size of Vancouver, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Surrey, Delta, and Richmond combined. An incredible relationship with the local Ugandan government has seen them contribute the largest amount ever to a local water project: a total of $125,000!

But it's not just about the money or strategy. It centres on need. Irimya is the only community our team will have built a clean water system in that has no source of water - anywhere.

So how do we bring water to a region without a source? It's a bit of a pipe dream - to be honest.

After days of searching for clean water that would flow fast and abundantly enough, our only option was to pipe it in from a neighboring community 9 kilometers away. Being the first time we've faced this situation, the team debated whether we could tackle the project with the added cost of $21,000 to run the pipeline in! But we couldn't leave the people of Irimya without water for the difference of a nine-kilometer piece of pipe.

Irimya is special in so many ways, for its coffee farms, isolation from the rest of the region and charm. And yet the community has great need. Elephants trampling crops, disease rates rising, and the history of conflict with neighbouring rebels and mining extraction companies has left them wanting for genuine partnership.

Your kindness in joining us on this journey to see Irimya's pipe dreams come true, will bring water and hope to a community unlike any other.

Snapshot of Irimya

Location: Ibanda District, Kicuzi sub-county

Population Served: 14,236

Villages: 14 villages

Schools: 5 primary schools

Student Enrollment: 2,304 (1,090 male, 1,214 female)

Health Clinics: 1 (serves approximately 15,000 people)

Waterborne Disease Prevalence: 37%

February 2023

May 2023

17 communities in the Sweeter Water (Masha Project) reach Healthy Hygiene Village status

Kanywambogo + Kanywameizi projects commissioned [111 taps, 10 latrines, 2 water system retrofits and extensions serving 20,451 people]

Broke ground in Irimya

Breaking ground in Irimya

Working to locate a water source for Irimya

Jumping for Joy

YOU made quite the splash this past World Water Day!

Because of your generosity, 17 more families like Becky's are receiving access to clean water and hygiene training, empowering them to build healthy futures.

Angellah turns on a new tap stand

“I feel much love and pleasure for you, ACTS. You have softened our lives. I did not have the appetite to drink the stagnant water we had before. But now I see clean safe water! I can get water to drink and wash my body!

Thank you!!”

~ Angellah, Kanywameizi Beneficiary

a mark this year

Double the dollars, double the teams, and double the people served! If you didn’t get a chance to read our 2023 Impact Report, you can soak up the reflection of your kindness by visiting acts.ca/impact23 or emailing info@acts.ca if you’d like a printed copy.

Summer Pipe Dreams

Bringing clean water and hope to the remote community of Irimya requires 9 additional kilometres of pipe ($21,000). Your caring gift of $125 will make a life-changing impact on the 14,236 people this project will serve. Join us on this journey to see the power of a pipe dream in action!

Give today at acts.ca/tapstand or with the enclosed envelope.

Talent proudly shows her school’s new latrine

"I thank you so much for these beautiful latrines you are seeing behind me. I believe our grades are going to change positively because we will have everything we need for health."

~ Talent, Kanywambogo Beneficiary