Invisible Children Uganda’s (ICU) Livelihood team headed to the field last week to survey communities and determine where future boreholes should be drilled. Partnering with TechnoServe, ICU is planning to drill 8-10 more boreholes in rural communities in northern Uganda, in addition to the 20 they already drilled.

The purpose of the survey is to single out areas of greatest need in terms of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and determine the best way for ICU to intervene in helping people access clean water.

WASH for communities helps improve public health and reduces exposure to diseases like diarrhea, which is the second leading cause of death for children under five years old according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

During this survey 152 households were visited, giving households a chance to answer questions concerning access to clean water, personal hygiene and sanitation in their homes.

In the village where David lives with his wife and two children, they are able to access water for domestic use from a spring, but only during the dry season. “In the rainy season, rain water and dirt flows down at this spring that the families use, leaving the water contaminated and not safe for use,” he explains.

Through the partnership with TechnoServe, the Livelihood team hopes to bring safe, clean water access to families like David’s.

-Germina