Message for March
By President Annet Nannyonjo
‘Water is life and without it, everything freezes’. This was a common advert on Radio Uganda as we grew up. It did not carry a lot of meaning to me as a child and since there was plenty of it in Lake Victoria it was not a topic to attract my attention.
Later in life, our teacher of science emphasized the importance of water. In fact, he assured us that 60% of our bodies is water and encouraged us to drink three liters a day! According to H.H Mitchell Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, the lungs about 83% the skin 64%, the Kidneys 79% and even the bones are watery 31%! My first test of the importance of water came when I went to a school where water was scarce.
I had never imagined that two cups are sufficient for a bath! We had to wake up at 4.00 am to join the que and then guard what you get or else it is stolen. It was the first time I saw someone refusing to give another a sip when they are thirsty. I later went to Singo Military Training school for a Cadre course where there was not a single well and our only source of water was River Mayanja which we shared with the many cows in the village. For survival, we drank the extremely dirty water and used it for all our chores.
Stories of water shortage became a reality in my life because even when we joined the Oxford of Africa, we had no water on many days. It is hard to believe but the dirties toilets I have seen in my life were in Mary Stuart a building that housed many beautiful, intelligent girls. If the practices due to water shortages in the Box were to be recorded, they would erode all the pride and dignity the girls had. Hygiene was very poor. I hope the situation has improved. Where water is free especially in the rural areas where it is drawn from springs and wells and where water borne toilets have not been heard of life is cheaper. The cost of water to the urban poor can deprive them of other basics of life as water takes 22% of their income. Stories like mine and worse can be told if we are chanced to interview a section of people.
Rotary is an amazing organization that strives for the wellbeing of people. The intervention of Rotary in improving health through the numerous water projects across the globe cannot be underestimated. The partnerships Rotary enters for water are a clear indication of its commitment. In Uganda eight million people lack access to safe water and twenty-seven million do not have access to improved sanitation facilities. I am consoled that my club has engaged in many projects to avail water to those that lacked it.
The tanks at the various schools on Entebbe Road, our intervention in Kashari, the massive project to avail water to a whole village in Buikwe and the 3000 dollars we are contributing to WASH this year are all a clear indication that Kajjansi is not a social, but a Rotary Club. We have also embraced the twin sister to water, hygiene. For two years now we have engaged in the distribution of Sato Pans to make latrines safer and less threatening to good health. In our project profile we have constructed toilets and have more in the lineup. More good news has come in with the approval of our Global Grant to build toilets for the community of Nakigalala.
Rotary has invested more than $51 million in Global Grants to help communities access safe water. The global pandemic of COVID has made the need for water even more apparent as washing hands is one of the remedial actions to alleviate the spread of the virus.
As we look forward to the celebration of World Water Day on 22nd March let us continue looking at ways to help all communities access water. With an improvement in water distribution, hygiene will Improve automatically. Better hygiene will lead to improved health which in return will improve productivity and hence better living standards. Salutations to all who have contributed in any way whether through the Foundation, clubs or local communities to provision and maintenance of safe water.
