EMi’s Project Scope

The design approach taken by the eMi team is a multiphase project covering all aspects of water development including: water supply, irrigation, sanitation, and community health. These four elements of water development eMi saw, during their assessments, as inextricably linked. Their design approach therefore first addressed the critical water supply issues for residents with no access to clean water.

Community Support

The community has already been significantly involved in all aspects of the development process. The community has taken part in meetings and relayed their desires and needs to the eMi EA team who devised this project. In addition, for the community to flourish as a whole, there will be training in community health as well as support for overall economic development. eMi has developed a recommended plan for the institutional relationships for community health development.

Project Outline

Their basic phasing is as follows:
Phase A: Providing critical potable supply
Phase B: Initiation of an integrated community development program for two villages (pilot program)
Phase C: additonal data collection/investigation
Phase D: Expansion of community development to other villages
Phase E: Expansion of irrigation systems
Phase F: Future development of potable water systems
This is a very basic overview of the full development plan recommended by eMi’s team, (to download and view the entire report please click this link).

Current Goals

Our present concerns are Phases A and the integrated community development program of B. The greatest and most essential need of the people is for a year round supply of potable water. Protecting public heath depends not only on water quality buy also on quantity. The eMi team evaluated a number of options to determine the best solution for providing clean water. It was decided upon that Phase A: would consist of repairing existing borehole pumps as well as the instillation of new boreholes. There are a number of location where people have limited or no access to clean water. These critical locations will be the first addressed. However, the need for potable water all across Ngenge is critical; therefore, as many boreholes as possible will be achieved as quickly as possible. Phase B: continues with further borehole installation to increase supply and to provide backup supply, in case of borehole or pump failure.

Diocesan Support & Training

The idea is not to build the boreholes and then cut the people loose. The Sebei Dioseses will play an active role in ensuring the maintenance of the boreholes. eMi will also initiate a training program so that locals in the population will be equipped to operate the borehole pumps and fix any problems they may have in the future. The Sebei Diocese will act as the catalyst for the whole development operation. The Diocese is responsible for mobilizing a Private Community Health Worker. In cooperation with a government supplied Public health Worker, this Private Community Heath Worker then has the responsibility of initiating all subsequent health, sanitation, and hygiene activities on a community level. This includes mobilizing members of the community who will serve on committees designed to promote health and development.

The Hero

In addition to this, an engineer from the eMi team that carried out this diagnostic work, Paul Berg, has offered to initiate this operation. Paul and his family will move to Uganda in August of this year, for a year. He will work directly with the Sabei Diocese to oversee the proper construction and installation of new boreholes, as well as repair those which have malfunctioned.