Priscilla is 7 years old and stays with her single Mum who sells local brooms on Kampala streets. Priscilla doesn’t go to school because she goes with her Mum to the streets to beg. Back at home, Priscilla collects water from this stream every morning and evening. Because the water is dirty, Priscilla is often sick with typhoid, cough and stomach problems. Her treatment is the largest bill her Mum has to pay so she can’t save enough to pay her school fees.
About 80 families in Kigoma live in a slum setting, mainly composed of street vendors and their families, children who are begging on the streets during the day and all kinds of unprivileged city dwellers. Social services, including safe water access, are very poor in this area.
Their current source of waters are surface ponds or streams, located in a nearby swamp. The community itself is so close to a swamp, so people don’t walk far away to get the water, but it’s very dirty and unsafe.
We informed this community about the Community Funded Well Program (Water Vending Point) and for 1 month they have worked together to raise a down payment. One of the community members has donated space where the well will be drilled, and he will also be responsible for selling the water to the community members.