Changealife Uganda: Migyera Community Water Project
2015 ChangeALife Uganda: Migyera Community Water Project Duke Student Consultants: Elizabeth Kendall, MEM ‘15 Francis Oggeri, MEM ’15 Alayne Potter, MEM ’15 Advisers: Dr. Erika Weinthal, Duke University Dr. Avner Vengosh, Duke University Jean Selmer, ChangeALife Uganda Executive Summary In many parts of the developing world, poor water quality and water scarcity affect human health and their economic and social well-being. Although much progress has been made towards increasing access to improved water supplies on a global level, there is a significant disparity between those living in urban and rural settings (UNICEF and WHO 2014). Following this trend, in the country of Uganda 85% of the total population of 34 million lives in rural areas. Of those rural Ugandan households, 70% have access to an improved water supply (UNICEF and WHO 2014). Partnering with ChangeALife Uganda (CALU), a local Ugandan non-profit organization, this project evaluates the water supply in the rural village of Migyera while taking into account the multitude of compounding factors, such as seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and diversity of water sources. CALU’s interest in water stems from its mission to provide education and health care, improving the livelihoods of children who are the most susceptible to water borne illnesses. The project seeks to evaluate current, local perceptions of quality, access, distribution, and use of water resources in Migyera Town Council, Uganda in order to provide recommendations to the client. Primary research comprised of three key data collection areas 1) household surveys, 2) water quality testing, and 3) geospatial analysis, was used to examine overarching questions on water management and sanitation and health of the community.
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