Health and Sanitation Project for Women and Their Families in Maracha and Mukono, Uganda

Dear friends,
I am Mirina Nanziri Emmy Field Partners Coordinator/Editor for Empower And Care Organization (EACO) a community based organization that provides physical and psychosocial support to marginalized and at-risk women, vulnerable children & orphans, youth and the elderly living in the Mukono district. The organization seeks to empower these groups of people through economic development, which it achieves through education programs, vocational training, and the provision of health care. EACO also campaigns for Poverty, HIV/AIDS and human rights awareness and provides direct support to children who have been orphaned as a result of the Poverty, HIV/AIDS, Violence, and Displacement by War or Conflict.

At EACO, we have a belief that every human being is a unique individual and that we all have a right to good health and basic needs and should access means to a comfortable life in one way or another

I would love to work with you here in Uganda and I would love to share this with you.

I would love to work with you here in Uganda, and we want to restore hope for those who have been abused and neglected just because of what they are, by giving clean and safe water as well as building latrines to their communities and that is Maracha and Mukono Districts in Uganda. more so to schools, any one willing to help on this please you can support either financially or help on fundraising. You can also volunteer with us.

The Need:

People in rural areas in Maracha and Mukono District Lack of access to water and sanitation is already exposing to more dangers like battering, rape and poverty. But with the looming impacts expected due to climate change, these dangers are feared to double. Children and women draw their drinking water mainly from surface sources, such as ponds, rivers, and lakes. These same sources are used by cattle and other livestock, as well as for bathing, washing clothes, and other domestic uses. These water sources also serve as breeding grounds for bacteria and diseases. There is also limited awareness and education of proper sanitation and hygiene techniques, which compounds the issues around the lack of clean water.

Besides that, Children are also kidnapped and sacrificed more so in Mukono and this happens when they move to collect water to very far wells deep in the forests.

Due to social gender roles, women are made responsible to meet water and sanitation needs of the family.

In Maracha, a woman walks an average of ten kilometers in the dry season for water, spending 15-17 hours a week looking for water. This means that the same woman will spend two months of her time a year just walking long distances in search for water.
Children too are being affected with the lack of water and sanitation---affecting their schooling the most and have to share toilet facilities with boys. Many of them have ended up dropping out of school. Discrimination against women due to gender violates women's rights, undermines their health and well-being and cripples development of individual women's status.

In addition to the above, the communities in Rural Mukono and Maracha, most of our beneficiaries do not have latrines and bathrooms where to ease themselves. Not only households but also schools we work with. This force those to dig like 1 foot hole to ease them yet they have children in those homes. These holes are dug in the gardens where they grow their food which is risky, some dig besides their houses and it scares us about their health and sanitation when it happens to rain. We see that this causes diarrhorea because flies get onto food, and anything being set for eating, more to that these people do not have a habit of washing their hands after easing themselves and just walk straight to have something to eat; which puts their life at risk. Further still, these people get jiggers and ringworms in their feet and the legs. This also affects the animals they keep in their homes which often call for de-worming and these beneficiaries do not have the money to be out of this problem to look for treatment.

We believe that clean and safe water with increased sanitation will improve the lives of each person involved.

We will implement safe water, hygiene, and sanitation program in the community of Mukono and Maracha District of West Nile Uganda, the project will reach 2,500 school children including 500 households in the surrounding communities.
The project will begin by training community members in sanitation and hygiene education. Once trained, we shall go ahead to form a committee that will be charge of the borehole so that it is maintained.
The overall impact of this project is the improvement of health and sanitation standards for entire communities.

We want also to build 100 ventilated latrines to the schools so as to improve the health and sanitation of the children in these schools and $12,000 can help to put up a deep bore hole in the community and $5000 can help to put up a Ventilated latrine. and our targe is to drill 40 boreholes.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions via email or on the phone or Skype
We would love Volunteers who can also be involved in our projects that establish and create income-generating opportunities for women, vulnerable children & orphans, youth and the elderly living in the Mukono district and Maracha district in west Nile Uganda.

These volunteers can:

• Make a difference in people's lives.
• Develop a wide network.
• Develop a range of skills and experience that can be used in everyday life.
• Receive ongoing education and development.
• Do their part in bringing about social change.

Each week, their donation of time will be of assistance to feed and maintain the quality of life for someone less fortunate than them.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions via email or on the phone or via Skype: eacouganda

Mirina Nanziri Emmy Field Partners Coordinator/Editor
P.O Box 2784 Kampala Mukono Uganda East Africa
Mukono District Kayunga Road Ggulu A Behind Collins hotel Village
Phone:+256775189239, +256774310393,