Sironko, Uganda: Sironko District Woman MP Hon Mafabi Asha Nabulo, in partnership with One Ummah Uganda, has launched five newly constructed boreholes to ease persistent water shortages in densely populated communities across the district.
The new water sources are expected to improve access to safe water for residents, particularly women and adolescent girls who often walk long distances in search of water for domestic use.
The boreholes have been installed in Bunabonyo and Buwasa Sub-county; Kidowa and Nalusaala; and Nabudisirua “A”, Dahami and Bunagawoya in Busulani Sub-county, where residents have for years faced challenges accessing safe water.
Residents said the intervention would reduce the distances women and girls travel to collect water and help address some of the risks associated with those journeys.
Irene Nabende, the women’s chairperson of Bunabonyo Village, said women and girls previously had to walk long distances to fetch water, exposing them to risks of sexual violence, including defilement and rape, as well as teenage pregnancies and school dropouts.
“We now have water near us and hope this will be solved,” Nabende said.
Peresi Mukwana, a resident of Bunagawoya, also thanked Nabulo for supporting the community with a new water source, saying residents had endured difficulties accessing water.
Sironko District LCV Chairman Alex Guga Nabende said the district continues to face a significant water challenge and welcomed the intervention by Nabulo and her development partners.
He appealed to other development partners and stakeholders to support additional water projects to extend access to safe water to more communities.
Nabulo said addressing water shortages in densely populated areas requires collective efforts involving local leaders, development partners and communities.
She thanked One Ummah Uganda for providing the boreholes and for supporting other community initiatives in the past, saying leaders should be judged by the lasting impact they create for the people they serve.
“To know your people’s problems, you have to go out and lobby for solutions. The wars of politics are over, and now we are focusing on development,” Nabulo said.
She urged residents to work through their local leaders to document challenges affecting their communities so that they can be addressed progressively.
“After five years, there will be no need for campaigning. I will simply come back to ask for your vote for a second term because I will have worked and delivered on the pledges I made,” she added.
The new boreholes are expected to reduce the burden of water collection for households while improving access to safe water in the beneficiary communities.
Sironko is among districts in eastern Uganda where some communities continue to experience challenges accessing reliable sources of safe water. Long distances to water points can place a disproportionate burden on women and girls, who are often responsible for collecting water for household use.
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