Report: Household Rainwater Harvesting Pilot in Mityana

Install rainwater harvesting systems at 10 rural households

UCOBAC has already sensitised communities on the need to access and use safe, clean water. They now know that during rainy season, one needs to make provisions to tap water from above which is totally safe and clean from dirt. In this way, we shall see families embrace the idea of harvesting rain water using any of the technologies that we learnt at the AWWC in Nairobi. Families and later communities will endeavour to maintain and protect the communal wells and springs for the sake of using clean, safe water. The initial impact is reduction in water-borne diseases. When funding improves, we shall make sure more communities, schools, trading centres and towns are able to access and store clean water by erecting ferro tanks etc.

UCOBAC will train the household members themselves together with the CORPs to maintain the technologies at minimal cost. UCOBAC will continue to fundraise for a bigger project so that we can support the households in case of major repairs.

There are many challenges that always go with introduction with a project:

1. High and unlimited demand for services but limited funding. Many people requiring services - little funds available.
2. Political influence - district and local leaders each will want to take the project to their respective parishes, sub-counties so one needs to make a survey and decide on where the problem is most acute.
3. High costs for building materials.
4. Since we are beginning with grandmothers, who are the most vulnerable, the neighbours may not be so co-operative and may steal their gadgets.

Limited funding. There are many households that require the assistance. Transport and mobilisation costs for bothUCOBAC staff and the field staff were not budgeted for. There is dire need for a well laid out project that can target a reasonable number of households so that the impact can be felt.