Mwanda Kasiba is a 37 year old farmer who lives with his 5 children and wife, Nangobi, in Nakamini Village, Iganga district, Uganda. When Uganda Village Project staff and volunteers were working on his street, he was eagerly waiting for them to reach his home.  Mwanda was waiting with local materials and hammer in his hand, eager to help and learn how to improve sanitation in his home. As we worked with him to build a tippy tap, he informed us that two of his children had recently suffered from a bout of diarrhea, and he was sure that with a tippy tap they could easily wash their hands and reduce their chance of contracting hygiene related diseases. He and his family appreciate your gift, Pradeep, and the work that Uganda Village Project is doing in Nakamini village.

Steven Kaziba is a 37 year old carpenter who resides in Nawansenga B village, Iganga District, with his wife and 5 children. The baseline survey of Nawasenga B village indicated that the village had only one tippy tap, reflecting the poor state of sanitation in the village.

Since Steven is a carpenter, he was happy to put together the tippy tap once we showed him the design. When asked how he felt now that he had a hand washing device, he said that we have awakened his community, as the sanitation was poor and therefore the installation of tippy taps has improved cleanliness not only in his home, but throughout the village as well.  Steven then joined in for the rest of the sanitation push, installing tippy taps for his neighbors and friends. Steven Kaziba and his family are very grateful to UVP and to Alice and Brad for helping improve sanitation in their village.

Kawa Nakwanga, 45, and co-wife, Nangobi, 30, have 9 children. They are so grateful for your donation. When asked what impact the tippy tap will have on their family, Kawa expressed her gratitude to Sterling, Melinda, and the Uganda Village Project Interns, “At last we have a tippy tap!!’ She said with a wide grin. “When we were at the HIV education session, they told us about the upcoming sanitation week.  My co-wife and I started digging the trash pit, and we had all the sticks ready for the tippy tap and a plate stand. Now that we have a tippy tap, I am sure our children’s health and hygiene will improve due to this.”

Kawa says thank you to the Uganda Village Project and to Sterling and Melinda!

Monica is 45 years old and resides in Buwolomera, Uganda, one of the villages covered by Uganda Village Project. Her husband has two wives and she is wife number one. When her husband heard that there was an HIV Testing, he declared it a day for “knowing their status” and announced that him and the two of them were to go for testing and no one should go to the garden.

Monica was very happy that she was given a chance to know her status and that their husband is very supportive and encourages both of them to go for testing. She says it is very important to test, especially in marriages where a husband has two wives because there is a higher chance of getting infected.

Thank you all for your generous support that provided a day of HIV/AIDS and STI tests for the entire village of Buwolomera!

Namabiro is 30 years old and a mother of four children. She lives in Iganga district in the eastern part of Uganda. Ruth got a fistula when she was giving birth to her fourth child. The Uganda Village Project Fistula Coordinator found her, counseled her, and later enrolled her in the UVP fistula camp. Some fistula cases are more complicated than others, and unfortunately this is true of Ruth’s. Although she has regained her ability to stand with this first surgery, she will have to undergo a second surgery to complete her recovery.

Even with another surgery in her future, she is still grateful that she has had a chance to get this condition fixed and appreciates Uganda Village Project and Sterling and Melinda for providing means for her to be able to begin her journey of recovering.

Thank you for your support.

Naigaga is 32-years-old, has six children, and lives in Nawaningi in Iganga District of Uganda. During her last delivery she was not able to reach the health centre in the early stages of labor, and by the time she arrived her baby was already distressed and the delivery resulted in a fistula.

However, Joy is glad and very appreciative to Uganda Village Project on George for giving her a new life. She is also grateful for the care and the support given to her while at the June fistula camp.

She is hopeful that she will fully recover. She would also like to educate the women in her community about fistula. She wants them to know that there is life after a fistula – through surgery.

Nakirya is 40 years old and she has lived with a fistula for 21 years. When she went into labor, she was not able to access the health center in time and by the time she did, her baby was already dead and she had also gotten a fistula.

Nakirya is happy that for the first time in 21 years she is feeling healthy. When she goes back home she hopes she will be able to go back to working in the market, a job she had left so many years ago, and also attend community gatherings. She would like to thank Uganda Village Project and George for the support given to her.