Katooma is a rural community in Buhweju District, Western Uganda. The village has many hills, which makes access to water challenging. People have to go down into the low lying areas and back up the steep hills with heavy containers of water on their heads. Unfortunately this water is dirty and unsafe and often makes them sick. Many children don’t go to school because they are always sick. The older ones who manage to go to school are always absent. Generally, poverty levels in this community are high. Access to basic services is also difficult since its considered as a hard to reach village.
There are more than 150 households. The majority of the people are peasants, doing subsistence farming by growing bananas, millet and beans.
Door to door, a local organization working in this region, got to know about the Community Funded Well Program. They introduced it to the leaders in this area. The community welcomed the idea and are now ready to participate in the program.