General Information

All about Oru Water

Uganda

Uganda is located in East Africa and has a population of about 41 million people. The population is constantly growing also because of the many refugees that enter the country, especially from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This leads to Uganda's having to meet the constant challenges of reallocating resources, create more jobs and education and integrating diverse cultures.

Water

One of the most important problems which Uganda has to solve is about water. After intensive rainy seasons, more and more now missing by the climate-change, there are periods of extreme drought, which are particularly difficult for rural populations.

They are dependent for their survival and the growth of their crops on rain, as only parts of the larger cities have water systems. People are dependent on what rainfall leaves in small brooks and ponds.

The Challenge

Access

Good wells are rare in the South West of Uganda. Water which is found underground in the hilly regions is often old groundwater which often is salty and sometimes contaminated with heavy metals which are damaging to health. Wells which provide groundwater often fall dry after a while, because the clay topsoil prevents the creation of new groundwater.
Surface water, which is found in small ponds or streams is more easily accessible. But this water has often spent some time in the sun and the heat, which is the perfect medium for bacteria and parasites.

Health

Lack of clean water is still in many rural regions of East Africa a major reason for the death of children under the age of four.
Up to 40% die from diseases that are water borne diseases.
At the very top of the list is diarrhea, also in combination with malaria.

The polluted water also creates immune system deficiencies and prevents the body from protecting itself from other diseases.

Social

Providing water for the family is usually the task of women and children in Uganda.
They often walk up to ten hours a day to find water during the dry season, and face numerous risks. Invariably, the water they find is dirty surface water with a high concentration of bacteria and parasites.

This is time that children loose from school and that women loose from their work.

The Solution

The city of Mbarara lies 285 km west of Kampala. It is also the center of the Isingiro District. In Mile 20 South Mbarara you will find the Waterfiltration Project Oru Water. The time to drive from Mbarara to Mile 20 is about 40 minutes.

Water Filter

Oru Water produces water filters out of the local clay. These clean polluted water by effectively filtering out the bacteria, parasites and particulate matter.

The filters provide a reliable source of clean drinking water for about 11,- Euros per year per filter.

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