Kindly donated by El Chiringuito

Wuluturu, located 5 miles away from the city centre, was once a densely populated area with over 2000 people. At the beginning of 2017, the area was overrun by rebels and people were forced to flee their homes. Crops and fields were burned, and the well was abandoned entirely. As peace returned to the area of Yei, and community members began to make their way back to Wuluturu, the well was in complete disrepair. With no working well, people had to seek water from nearby ponds and the Yei river. The well in Wuluturu was privately owned and the original owner used the borehole to pump the water into a tank. When the civil war reached the area, the owner of the borehole left to seek security. With no fuel, the generator to pump the water into the tank could not be used and the borehole was useless.

The team installed a hand pump and made the necessary adjustments so that water could be manually pumped from the well. An estimated 141 families have returned to the villages in Wuluturu and as news spreads, more are returning daily. Access to clean water is crucial to their ability to rebuild their lives. Joy and her children are one of many families who are starting over in Wuluturu. When they first arrived, the well was broken. They spent hours fetching dirty water from the Yei River every day. This is a common story as the dry season approaches. Now, Joy and hundreds of other community members can collect clean water right from the heart of their village. Water turns ghost towns into vibrant communities where businesses, farms, churches, and families can flourish. The restoration of this well will empower the people of Wuluturu as they get back on their feet.

This project was undertaken as part of our campaign of projects that actively reduce carbon emissions. This project helped the community save their much needed wood which was previously being burnt daily to boil water. This project has also eliminated the many thousands of hours previously spent on walking to collect water.