Our Own Wishing Well

Around this time last year, I traveled to northern Uganda to the town of Lira to be present for the ground breaking of the new GoErinGo well.

Now the well is up and running, providing clean water to more than 5,000 people living in 4 villages. I couldn’t be happier!

Check out the videos from the ground breaking and the photos from the active well…

GoErinGo Ground Breaking

The GoErinGo well was built by the U.S.-based nonprofit Drop in the Bucket. Before I left on my big adventure, the org contacted me and asked if I would donate a well in East Africa.

I was delighted and we held a contest on the blog to see which country would receive the new well: Tanzania, South Sudan or Uganda. Y’all voted for Uganda and within the first year of my travels I went to witness the ground breaking and meet the local Lira community.

The well was on the site of a secondary school, APEC SDA, which is a boarding school for 350 students.

Here I am with the school children:

Can’t see the video? Click on the link: APEC SDA

Digging Deeper in Uganda

Our well is situated on the site of an existing water well. Unfortunately the original well, was only 6 meters deep and was too near the surface. The result was E.Coli contamination of the water.

The GoErinGo well is 70 meters deep, far deeper than the ground water that was found at 28 meters, ensuring a clean source of water for the surrounding villages. Here’s the drilling in action:

Can’t see the video? Click on the link: GoErinGo Well

Water for Four Villages

Each family, consisting of 10-15 people, uses 100 liters a day: 40 for drinking, the rest for cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Each bottle holds 20 liters. So, each family needs to make five trips to the well a day to meet the needs of family.

The GoErinGo well now provides clean water for 4 villages. After the initial building, the well is looked after by village leaders to ensure it remains operational.

I had the chance to meet the villagers during my trip. I joined them during church services and was able to present the plaque that sits at the base of the well. For the plaque, I chose the following inscription:

“May your life overflow with possibilities.”

This is truly my wish for all living in the four villages using the well. At the very least, I hope that the clean water will help make their lives easier and give their families greater health. I’m thrilled to help provide the greatest gift of all: Water!

Tags: Drop in the Bucket, Uganda, water, well

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 25th, 2012 and is filed under Donate My Dollars.