 |
| Writer- Melissa Kyeyune | NGO- Water For People | Country- Uganda | SDG- Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation | Year- 2017 | |
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | When Jacinta Bujune speaks, everyone listens. All 120 of them. As the chairperson of Ashawo II Savings Group, Soroti District she not only sensitizes the 31 members of her savings group about sanitation, but also ensures that the same message reaches three other savings groups.
Under the Sanitation As A Business approach, Water For People identifies community leaders such as Jacinta, to create demand for sanitation goods and services which are then provided by community wholesalers and engineers.
Jacinta herself was empowered by Water For People. At her home, the cement slab in her latrine was cracked rendering the whole structure unsafe. Also there were flies and the bad smells associated with most latrines.
She was advised by Water For People to acquire a WASH loan from partner financial institution- Post Bank. She has used the loan of UGX550,000 to pay a community mason to rebuild her latrine with a new cement slab, satopan and new walls. Water For People offered technical support to the mason as he built the latrine.
“My latrine is safe, clean and no longer has flies!” Jacinta says happily.
Having seen the transformative nature of taking out a WASH loan to improve her latrine, Jacinta took this message to her savings group of Ashawo II.
“We were facilitated by Water For People to go and see the different types of latrines,” Jacinta recalls.
When members realized there was a latrine had different price ranges, many decided to take out a WASH loan and begin building one.
“Half of my group members have acquired WASH loans.”
Other savings groups in the village heard the testimonies of Ashawo II members and they became interested as well.
Now, Jacinta co-ordinates 3 other saving groups. So whenever she calls on them, those 120 people, mostly women, come to the mango tree at her home and are reminded that everyone has an opportunity to have a clean home.
Organization website: https://www.waterforpeople.org/where-we-work/uganda
Thanks for the great work in making SDGs known and various efforts in achieving the goals and making them reality!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! More stories to come.
Delete