Water for Life- WWF Empowers Women to get access to Clean Water

Posted on 11 April 2023

WWF in Uganda trained women from Ndangara-Nyakiyanza Tutungukye Group in construction of water tanks. The training under the Green Jobs and Nature Based Solutions Project is funded by WWF Denmark. Two months after the training, the women have constructed water tanks for the different households in the area.

Katushabe Aida, a beneficiary of the training now owns a water tank with capacity of 12000 litres.

“We used to walk long distances in the park in search for water. It was not safe since we risked attack from wild animals. The young girls were not safe. There were several rape cases. Unfortunately, even the water was not safe because we were sharing it with wild animals”, she narrated.

Katushabe is now enjoying clean water harvested in her water tank. She also shares it with her neighbors as they too look forward to owning water tanks of their own.
Over 35% of residents in Rubirizi don’t have access to clean water. The only water sources available have dirty water, often shared among humans, domestic and wild animals.

According to the Member of Parliament for Bunyaruguru County in Rubirizi District, the communities without access to clean water have reported high incidents of typhoid and Chorela outbreaks, human-wildlife conflicts, child abuse among others.

“We are grateful to WWF for empowering the women with skills in water tank construction and water harvesting. I will also take this model on the flour of parliament and lobby for it to be scaled up”, he committed.
WWF in Uganda has been implementing an Innovative and Gender-sensitive Nature-based Solutions and Green Jobs project. The four-years project aims at reducing the impacts of climate change and poverty on communities within the Rwenzori Landscape through Nature Based Solutions covering six districts of; Kasese, Kaborole, Bunyangabo, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Rubirizi.

The project will focuses on jobs within restoration and in sectors that reduce pressure on important natural resources for climate resilience within the timber value chain; charcoal, bamboo and honey industries.

According to WWF Uganda Chief Operating Officer, Agnete Schønau, the project is creating and scaling green jobs by applying a Nature based Solutions approach at a landscape level to harness nature's immense potential to provide for communities’ well-being, hereby enhancing their resilience to climate change.

WWF Denmark Senior Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Advisor, Simone Charnley (Left) pose for a group photograph with the women from Ndangara-Nyakiyanza Tutungukye Group.