Water alleviates Awuru’s suffering and serves an entire community in Uganda

Awuru Amalia smiles happily as she pumps water from a community well in Omugu (Uganda).

The 68-year-old used to have to walk 15 km from home every day to draw water from the river, with the biggest struggle being the journey home and lugging the heavy canisters.

“At my age, fetching water from a river is a pain,” she says, tapping her hip. She winces slightly as she remembers the pain in her joints.

“The cattle also used this river, it was polluted,” she says and grimaces.

She now visits the well every day, as it is right on her doorstep. She collects water for her vegetable patch for cooking, washing, bathing and drinking.

Although Awuru only has a small garden at home where she grows manioc, millet and beans, the rest of her community relies on agriculture for food and income. Most of the residents of her community, which is also home to many refugees, sell their surplus vegetables and milk at the nearby market.

“I only have a few pigeons, chickens and goats. But the others have more livestock and large fields. In the past, cows and goats also had to walk the long way to the river. Now they come here and there is no more cattle rustling,” she explains.