Water Project

Dancing in the sun…

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“There’s a great joy in my giving. It’s thrilling. It’s exhilarating. It’s important to be a part of sharing.”  W. Clement Stone

Well, the well adventure is complete!

It may have taken Ssewak Engineering longer than they said to actually get out to the site to dig, but boy, did they hustle once they got there! Here’s the timeline:

Thursday, June 29 (a national holiday), they arrived at 2:00, ate lunch, set up, and started to drill. Drilling went on until 8:30pm, after dark.

Friday, June 30, they hit water! After letting the water run until it was clear, they stopped to let the bore hole dry.

Saturday, July 1, they built the bore, attached the filtration box and pump, and started the cement pad. My team didn’t leave the site until 11:30pm!

Sunday, July 2, we woke up a sign painter who created the sign. The cement pad and small adjacent wall were finished, with the sign cemented into the wall.

Monday, July 3, the well was officially handed over to the community! (And the LC asked Gideon if, since we’d built a well, we could now build a good road! hahahaha NO.)

Y’all… this was truly miraculous. As you can see from the photo, Gideon, the Wells of Hope students and staff, and members of the Rwakobo community celebrated and danced, even under the blazing dry-season midday sun.

WE DID GOOD!

All of us! The donors who made it possible, the supporters who sent prayers and encouragement and declarations of celebration, my team who walked the project all the way though despite the obstacles and setbacks, and everyone who has encouraged us on social media as they’ve seen the progress videos.

It was a team effort, and we all deserve an atta boy! We truly can’t thank you enough!

Mwebele mnonga!

Jennings

PS Yes, stuff was still happening at Touch the Slum, even while Ronald, Fauza, and Ritah were in Rwakobo documenting the well. We’ve got a number of important projects up on DonorSee, including a new irrigation tank for Mikisa Farm, some of our Literacy girls who are in truly dire need at home, and more. You can check out all our projects on DonorSee — as always, 100% of donations go to the program!

Take me to DONORSEE!

Dancing in the sun… Read More »

We Have Water!!

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WE HAVE WATER!

The trucks arrived in Rwakobo around 2:00 yesterday afternoon with very little notice. Gideon quickly called Ronald, who got on a bus with Fauza and Ritah to head back west – it was 9 hours, since it wasn’t a direct bus. Villagers quickly cleared roads and the land where the drilling would happen.

After a quick lunch cooked on a charcoal stove, they started drilling.

And 30 minutes, as I was driving home from an appointment, Ronald Face Timed me (I pulled over!) and showed me the water!

Even as I watched it got cleaner and clearer. How we rejoiced!

It was very loud, and the team was getting other footage, but it was the next best thing to being there for it. I’ll have more soon, but by Sunday or Monday it should be DONE.

THANK YOU ALL for your kind support and encouragement – we hope you are celebrating with us in this historic moment for Rwakobo village.

Mwebele mnonga!

Jennings

We Have Water!! Read More »

Two Mondays in One

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The bus had a flat tire on the way to Mbarara. Because of course it did!

Having worked and lived in developing countries, I’m (reasonably) immune to the frustrations that come with the life: tons of bureaucracy, weird priorities (ie when we lived in Nicaragua, we could have built a 3rd story on our hotel with virtually no oversight, but if we didn’t add the mosquito pellet to our well in a timely fashion, the health inspector from MINSA would come sit with a police officer in our rancho until we did!), and lots and lots of waiting.

While patience isn’t my strong suit, I’m used to this kind of thing. THERE.

But when it’s on this side of the pond, WOW, do I lose my mind!

The good news:

They found a great spot to drill the well AND a cooperative land owner. The team from Ssewak Engineering Solutions is traveling to Rwakobo as I type this, and the drilling starts tomorrow!

The frustrating part was getting the money to Gideon to pay Ssewak, and getting the money to Ronald to be on the road at 5am this morning with the media team. It took ALL.DAY.LONG. (Normally, sending money to Ronald using the SendWave app is instantaneous, and bank wires aren’t supposed to take 8 hours to get sent!)

SO WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Ronald, Monica, and Fauza have arrived in Mbarara and are doing some filming at Hopeland School this afternoon. We are working on more video for our new Sister Schools initiative, as well as some DonorSee projects.

The bank wire is in cyberspace somewhere, but should be available by the time work starts tomorrow.

Our team will be out at the drill site for the whole process – including when they hit water and it shoots high into the sky. I would so love to be there for that!

By Sunday or Monday, we should have a complete, finished, deep water well providing clean water to the over 3000 people in Rwakobo village!!

Many of you helped us with project with your hard earned money, with encouragement, and with cheers of celebration. As the surveyor has traversed the village with community leaders, Gideon, and others, the universal sentiment is, “We NEVER believed this would happen for us! They forgot us…“

But the forgotten are our specialty and our heart, and we know they’re yours as well. We can’t thank you enough!

Mwebele mnonga!

Jennings

PS With the Term 2 now underway, we have several new projects (and some older ones that still need funding!) on DonorSee. Check them out, forward the link to people you know, and/or say a prayer for them to be funded. All it makes a difference!

CHECK US OUT ON DONORSEE

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“Hope fills the holes of my frustration…”

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Can you remember a time where something you longed for was finally about to arrive, and then, for no apparent reason or fault of your own, it didn’t? Frustration, anger, perhaps a few muttered words (the kind we call “magic words” in our family)… until you accept your disappointment.

But then something happened that you didn’t expect, something even better than the thing that threw you for a loop. And looking back, you realize that this — had you known about it — was the thing you needed all along.

So it is with our well at Rwakobo. Last week, my email contained the exciting news of a spot with an 80% chance of success. Everyone was ecstatic! Cue the marching band!

Until the landowner decided we were trying to “steal” his land and demanded nearly $6,000 to use approximately 1/15 of the an acre for the well. (For the record, for $7,000 we bought 2 acres of farmland in a more accessible and desirable place than Rwakobo!) No assurances by the LC (local councilman) or Gideon made any difference. Appealing to his “better nature” and community spirit was a dead end. (We think he knew a mzungu was involved, but can’t say for sure.)

So we are back to square one, with the surveyor/engineer returning and the quest for a good spot starting once again. This time, several of the LCs are getting involved, though, and the whole community is taking ownership of the project to see it through.

And this is actually better!

It’s not Ten Eighteen Uganda’s project, or Wells of Hope School’s project, or Celebration Tabernacle Church’s project. Now that one man said no to clean water for 3,000 people, those 3,000 people are invested in making it happen! It’s now Rwakobo village’s project, and that is the hope filling the holes of our frustration. We are more optimistic than ever!

We’ll keep you updated on the progress this week, and I expect to have big news soon. We appreciate your support and encouragement!

Blessings,

Jennings

PS We have a project up for resident teen mom Leticia’s hairdressing supplies. She’s 1 1/2 weeks into the Hairdressing course and loving it! The project only needs $145 to be fully funded – we’d love your help! Webele nyo.

Leticia’s Project

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Well, Well, Well… We’re Getting a Well!

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You won’t believe this…!

We (YOU) have funded the deep well for Wells of Hope Primary School and Rwakobo village in FIVE WEEKS. That’s $10,134 raised with only 9 donors in 5 weeks.

You know that word “gobsmacked?” Well, that’s what we are, especially Gideon.

I texted him last night after I got the email that the project had funded, read it about 6 times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, and then cried a little. (True story!) Here’s what he said:

“Crazy crazy! It’s unbelievable! Thank yooooooou [yes, all those o’s!] so much, I didn’t see this coming through, I thought it was way too expensive. This is the biggest project we have done here, I’m super excited — I hope I get sleep!”

After that, he actually called the engineer in Kampala (11pm local time)! The engineer has sent a surveyor to Mbarara already (writing this on Tuesday). He will arrive tonight, and will start surveying the area Wednesday and talking with the local leaders tomorrow about where to place the well.

Y’all, this is SO amazing! This is what happens when people see what a difference they — YOU — can truly make in this world. This project will bring water, year-round, to over 3000 people. Three thousand people who currently have to collect water from ditches, compete with animals for it, and who get sick and die from typhoid on a regular basis.

It doesn’t take big corporations or big nonprofits. It just takes all of us, the average, ordinary people, coming together to accomplish something we could never do alone.

I’m so, so grateful!

Mwebele mnonga,

Jennings

PS If you didn’t see the project and original video with footage of the school and village, you can visit it by clicking the button. It was filmed in April when we were staying at Rwakobo Rock.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Well, Well, Well… We’re Getting a Well! Read More »

A Community Well for Rwakobo

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One of our most critical problems at Wells of Hope Primary School has been access to clean water. While we did construct our first ecobrick tank there in 2020, the tank is only good during rainy seasons since it is fed with rain water from the metal roof.

This means that, during the dry seasons, our cook and students — and their families — must resort to the “seasonal wells” dotted around the landscape. These are not actual wells, they are either natural or man-made low lying areas where water collects. They aren’t fed by any water source, so they slowly dry up, and they are shared with animals and insects. In short, they are disgusting and unreliable.

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It has been our dream since 2020 to construct a real, deep-water, borehole fed well that will serve not only Wells of Hope but the entire community of Rwakobo Village — over 3,000 people. (The top photo is just a representative sample.) This will not only give them all the water they need all year round, it will save many lives from contaminated water-born diseases like typhoid.

The project is now LIVE on Donorsee! And we have 5% funding already!

We need another $500 for the project to be visible to the entire platform, and the total of the project is $10,415. There is a full budget spelled out on the project site, so you can see exactly how the money will be spent. This isn’t one of the projects we can start and fund as we go, so we can’t get fresh water to Rwakobo village until we are 100% funded.

Can you help us today? 100% of your donation goes to the project.

We so appreciate your support!

Mwebele mnonga!

Jennings

WATER FOR WELLS!

PS Starting this week, I am reducing the number of blogs per week to one, at least through the summer months. I love writing, and our open rate is way above industry standard so you must enjoy reading. (I am really grateful!) But it does take a lot of time! You can always follow us or check in with us on Instagram, where I post every day. (Click the icon below.)

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We’re Back! Hello from the USA

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Dear {{contact.first_name}},

Hello from NC! I’m looking out of my sunroom at the bright green new leaves of spring, fighting off cats who are so happy to see me, and feeling enormously grateful to be home!

Our travels went well and Susan and I both slept “normal” hours, so we are hopeful that we won’t be jet lag casualties for more than a day or two. (You can’t recover from 28+ hours of travel overnight, no matter how much sleep you get!)

I got the above photo from Ronald while I was in the Brussels airport and I *love* it. There are a lot of things to love: the traditional gomesi that the Tailoring class made for me as a surprise, the uber successful 4th graduation of our biggest Skills for Life group yet, the fashion show where I was showing off the dress and my (questionable) Ugandan dance moves, Peace dancing in the background.

But what I love the most is that it captures why Touch the Slum has been so successful.

Genuine respect and partnership. Friendship. Fun and laughter. Hard work. Collaboration. Gratitude. Celebration. Cross-culture.

The whole team did a phenomenal job putting together the graduation. (You can see some videos at Instagram, icon below.) The speakers — the local Council Chairman, a pastor friend, a bishop, parents, students, and teachers — all spoke of the profound innovation and real changes they have seen. There were a lot of happy tears.

There’s a lot more to come. We have new challenges all the time, an unlimited stream of teen moms and teen girls who need help, the usual constraints and obstacles any nonprofit faces.

But we have YOU. We have the support of the local community. We have all the things that photo above sums up.

We can’t wait to see what’s next!

Blessings,

Jennings

PS We’re going to be posting our new Large DonorSee project this week — a deep well for the Rwakobo/Wells of Hope Primary School community, which will serve 3,000 people with clean, fresh water every day. We’ll need to get to 10% quickly so it is visible to the wider DonorSee audience. We’d appreciate you thinking about what you might be able to give over the next couple of days so we can hit the ground running. If we can fund the well quickly, the students and residents of Rwakobo Village will have a deep well by dry season!

This photo is one of the “seasonal wells” (aka large puddle) where they currently must get water to survive – yeah, it’s as bad as it looks!

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Patience Really Isn’t My Thing

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BUT WHO NEEDS PATIENCE WHEN I’VE GOT YOU GUYS?!

So far, 2023 has been very slow in the fundraising department overall. Don’t get me wrong, I expected January to be slow, because everyone was so generous at year end. It’s kind of like when I had the bakery and everyone went on a diet in January, only to emerge from starvation just in time for Valentine’s Day treats!

But man alive, do you all come through time after time!

Just yesterday the water tank project for Hopeland Primary School got over 10% funded and so appeared to the wider DonorSee audience. Today, someone who subscribes to this mailing list funded the rest!

Not ten minutes later a medical project for Touch the Slum was 100% funded by one regular donor.

First, let me say THANK YOU to ALL of you who have been so supportive with your comments and donations. You are the only reason our programs keep going, and the only reason we can touch the lives of over 550 children and teens every day.

Second, I can’t tell you how much your support buoys all of us here in the trenches. There’s a lot of need in Uganda, and a lot of need that Ronald, Gideon, and all our team are surrounded by every day. It takes a lot out of us all sometimes, not gonna lie.

But then we get so many gifts: previously illiterate girls taking notes in class. An entire P7 class passing their national exams. A text or email or message of support for no particular reason from one of you.

It goes far beyond dollars, no matter how important those dollar are. It’s partnership and friendship and collaboration that makes Ten Eighteen Uganda run, and you are as much a part of that as any of us.

We really can’t thank you enough.

Mwebele mnonga,

Jennings

PS We leave on Sunday! If you don’t follow us or check us out regularly on Instagram, make sure to put it in your calendar to do it while I’m gone. That’s the best way to keep up with all we’re doing, although I will still be sending this newsletter, too. Click the icon below to go to our Instagram feed! (You don’t have to have an account.)

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A CLEAN WATER SUCCESS STORY! JUST THE BEGINNING…

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BRING CLEAN WATER TO RWAKOBO

Ecobricks for a sturdy water tank!

MARCH 8 – OUR FIRST LARGE WATER TANK WORK STARTS!

Almost exactly a year ago (March 12, 2020), we built a small cistern at Wells of Hope School in Rwakobo Village. Nearly 40 kids were out of school with typhoid due to contaminated water, we didn’t have the funds for a well — but we DID have the funds for a small 200-liter tank that would at least provide cleaner (and on-site) water for hand washing and cooking.

Almost as soon as the work was finished, the Covid19 lockdowns started. I don’t know if the community was able to use this small bit of clean water during that time, but I hope so. It’s still there, and will still be collecting water for the BACK TO SCHOOL students. (School officially started back on March 1!)

BUT NOW…

10,000 liters!

Starting on Monday, March 8, Equal Aqua Uganda will be building a new additional tank holding 10,000 liters of rainwater captured from the roof of the new school building! We’ve written about ecobricks before… They’re made using recycled plastic bottles, filled with sand, and cemented into a large structure to give it strength. The tanks have spigots at the bottom, are fed with rainwater, and covered to prevent contamination.

While technically, that small 200-liter tank was the (unofficial) start of our WASH Campaign for Rwakobo Village, THIS TANK is the official kick-off of a multi-year, ambitious plan to bring tanks, wells, new pit latrines, handwashing facilities, and a hygiene campaign to this village.

OUR GOAL FOR 2021:
1 DEEP WATER WELL
2 PIT LATRINES
3 ECOBRICK WATER TANKS

Access to clean water and sanitation is the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

In Rwakobo Village, this goal is 100% a dream right now.

BUT THANKS TO YOU, WE’RE GETTING STARTED NEXT WEEK!

PROVIDE CLEAN WATER!

A CLEAN WATER SUCCESS STORY! JUST THE BEGINNING… Read More »

BEAUTY AND DESPERATION IN RWAKOBO VILLAGE

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The road through Lake Mburo National Park to Rwakobo Village

The village at Rwakobo Rock, which we call Rwakobo Village but which doesn’t seem to have a formal name, is about 10km inside Lake Mburo National Park. It was founded as a place to relocate Rwandan refugees, and (apparently) forgotten. While there is another village inside that park that seems to have services, a decent (for a Ugandan village) road, and houses the employees of the various safari lodges, Rwakobo Village is spread out and isolated — by geography, and by culture.

Their isolation has led to an extremely high rate of HIV/AIDS and STDs. Syphilis, in particular, seems to be rampant and largely untreated. No hospice or other medical outreach serves the village. Water-borne diseases such as typhoid, as well as malaria and illnesses related to poor hygiene, are leading causes of sickness and death.

WHAT IS A WASH CAMPAIGN?

WASH = Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene

WATER IS THE FIRST URGENT NEED

But at the same time, Wells of Hope School and Celebration Tabernacle Church outreach are teaching best hygiene practices. Since almost half of people in Rwakobo Village practice open defecation (going to the bathroom outside), there is a great need for education and construction of safe pit latrines for the villagers as well. All of these things are interconnected and vital for health and safety of those living in this village.

Inside a round house in Rwakobo Village

THIS TYPE OF CAMPAIGN IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT!

We have been working in Uganda since 2009, and are committed to this project for the long haul. Just before the school closings and lockdown last year, Ten Eighteen Uganda built a kitchen and a small cistern — sufficient for daily use — at Wells of Hope School. Thanks to a generous donor, we now have the funds to install a 7,000 liter eco-brick tank at the new school building. Since Equal Aqua Uganda will be traveling several hundred kilometers from their usual area, we are hoping to raise money for at least one 10,000 liter tank for the village to be built at the same time.

But what are the long term goals in this WASH Campaign?

  1. At least 12 ten-thousand gallon tanks spread throughout the village, to catch rainwater that can be used for washing, cooking, and drinking (with purification techniques such as boiling).
  2. One deep-water well installed by the end of 2022, and four by the end of 2025.
  3. Conduct a village-wide hygiene campaign in 2021 in collaboration with Celebration Tabernacle Church and Wells of Hope School, to teach the importance of using best hygiene practices such as frequent handwashing, especially after defecation.
  4. Construct pit latrines in the community in collaboration with Celebration Tabernacle Church.

If you’d like to donate to our Clean Water for Rwakobo campaign, we’d love to have you partner with us to effect meaningful and lasting change in this devastatingly poor community. 100% of your donations go to the project! And we’d love your thoughts, comments, and prayers as we tackle this job — we can’t do it, but God can accomplish it!

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