The value of purified water 

Between May and July 2009, the weather in and around the Bwindi Impenetrable National park in Uganda was extremely hot and dry. The dry spell caused many springs and other water sources to dry up. Notwithstanding these conditions, the schools continued with both their academic schedules and extra curriculum activities incorporating the sustainable water management programmes introduced by Swarovski Water School.

Many water sources used by school children are indeed not safe. Kanungu district is endowed with different types of water sources such as rivers, springs, boreholes and streams. Some of these water sources are not only far from homesteads but also are considered health hazards due to polluted water. River Ishasha is one of these. It is also the biggest river that originates from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Arrangements were made with private sector service providers for water boiling systems. Many local schools are now providing boiled drinking water, a practice rarely used before awareness programmes were introduced. The safety of boiled drinking water depends quite heavily, however, on the boiling treatment and safe storage. High priority is given to the continued training and awareness surrounding proper storage processes.

“We have been drinking un-boiled water both at school and at home. We could not take boiling drinking water as a serious issue. Sometimes our friends could miss classes because of sickness from typhoid or diarrhea. When this water project was introduced in our school we were sensitized on the value of boiling drinking water, we now drink boiled water at school and we are sensitizing our parents at home to do the same”
Student of Kinkizi High School