Kazo is another rural and remote community in Buhweju District, Western Uganda. Access to safe and clean water remains one of the biggest challenges for the community. Without safe water, maintaining a livelihood remains difficult at the household level. The effects of using dirty and unsafe water cut across to affect household incomes, close off opportunities and create a vicious cycle of poverty. Enrollment levels, student retention and the academic performance at the only school in the community is affected.
There are more than 150 households. The majority of the people are peasants, doing subsistence farming by growing bananas, millet and beans.
Some community members got to know about the Community Funded Well program when our team was working in this region recently. They have worked quickly to raise a down payment and all is set to start drilling for them.
*Jalia ready to walk home with the heavy container of water on her head. It makes her very tired since she has to walk 2kms with this container.
*Jalia’s friends collecting water from the village pond.
*Jalia 15-years-old is a finalist (in her final year) at Kazo primary school. Unfortunately, she is not sure if she will perform well because she has little time to revise her books. She says collecting water for her family takes most of her time. If she is not collecting water, she is tired and unable to read.