Uganda’s population has experienced significant growth (3% per year) over the last 20 years due to it’s relative stability as compared to other African countries. Unfortunately, this growth has pushed Uganda’s water and sanitation infrastructure to it’s limits. Currently, it is estimated that between 38% and 61% of Ugandan’s residents (around 16 to 24 million people) lack access to clean water and nearly 75% do not have access to proper sanitation resources.
Surprisingly, Uganda has ample freshwater sources as rivers, lakes and wetlands cover almost twenty percent of it’s total surface area. This includes Lake Victoria which is Africa’s largest lake. Uganda’s average annual rainfall is 35 inches, which replenishes many of these water sources. Thus the issue is not necessarily the amount of fresh water… but it’s distribution and sanitation. Donations are needed for Guttering and Water Tanks and Boreholes to increase the water supply. With two major rainy seasons throughout much of Uganda, guttering is a wonderful opportunity to harvest water. Guttering is the process of adding gutters and storage containers to existing metal roof structures to capture and store the runoff. Large plastic, or masonry, storage vessels can often hold between 2,000 and 5,000 gallons of water and provide for over 100 families. In addition, these structures normally offer thirty year life spans with the proper maintenance.
The other major issue is ground water contamination in rural areas as there is no sewage collection systems. Donations may also be used to finance and build latrines in these rural areas.
