PROJECT

By means of this project, ACAV wants to revive 20 no-longer–working wells in the Arua District.

The situation related to drinkable water’s availability has worsen a lot over these past years due to the arrival of more than a million refugees fleeing from South Sudan.

Thanks to this intervention, we want to meet the water and hygiene needs in order to both improve the severe water and hygienic situation and prevent conflicts that could potentially break out between the refugees and the host community, the latter witnessing a deterioration in their living condition due to the massive presence of refugees.

Awareness-raising activities and information on the importance of clean water consumption will also be implemented. Awareness-raising campaigns and information on the project will be promoted in Trentino.

Where: Africa, Uganda, West Nile sub-region, Arua District

Local partner: Arua District 

CONTEXT

The influx of hundreds of thousands Congolese and South Sudanese refugees over the last few years has caused a high pressure on existing social services, on natural resources and on livelihood opportunities both for refugees and for hosting communities.

The sites the Arua District referres to for the rehabilitation project have been damaged due to the pressure exerted on water sources by high numbers of users. The meetings with local authorities have revealed a prominent water emergency in villages located near refugee camps in the Arua District (Rhino Camp, with Omugo extension and Invepi) since the high pressure caused by refugees on the already low water resources has led to the breaking of more than a 100 water sources earlier used by host communities.

The lack of clean water sources both for refugees and for host communities causes not only serious health issues but also a complicated cohabitation between South Sudaneses and Ugandans, the latter witnessing an aggravation of their standard of living because of refugees.  

By the end of 2019, 1.381.122 refugees could be counted in Uganda. The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in South Sudan remains unstable and unfortunately there is still no sign of peace on the way.

Main objective: Improving the water situation  in favour of the host community and of refugees and prevent potential epidemics related to the consumption of contaminated water.

Specific objectives:

– Increasing access to clean water sources;

– Improving health and prevent potential epidemics

WHO ARE WE WORKING WITH?

20.000 people, mostly women and children who have arrived from South Sudan and are resident in the region.

We can ascertain that the average age is low and is most of all composed of women and children. The population is resident in the areas of intervention.

It is estimated that for every revived water well in densely populated areas the beneficiaries are about 1.000.

OUR ACTIVITIES

• Information and awareness-raising.

Awareness-raising activities will be addressed to refugees and to residents and will focus on the importance of the correct use of the new water source. These activities will also help locals to become aware of the chances of life and of the health enhancement after having access to clean water. An action on the awareness-raising on basic hygienic practices will also be carried out. •Rehabilitation of 20 no-longer–working water sources on behalf of the ACAV’s local staff. •Training for a management committee for revived water sources. •

The well management committee will be composed of people both from the refugee community and from the host community: they will choose 6 members that will be in charge of the site cleaning near the well, of the functionality of the various components and of the fundraising by its users in order to ensure regular and exceptional repair operations.

SUSTAINABILITY

This project goal is to meet the emergency situation in a punctual, concrete and fast way.

Working together with local authorities from the District and the County and strengthening, at the same time, the expertise is providing an integrated sustainability mechanism for the project that will last beyond its duration. 

Indeed, we have predicted, alongside other partners, that once the emergency is over, these construction projects will serve local communities that have no available clean water sources in the neighborhoods right now.

The foundation of one water club for each well with the task of preserving and of maintaining this precious water source over time will assure sustainability over the years.