Chief: Mukalazi John

Village: Ndolkia

May 19, 2010 – 2:15 pm

  1. 3 main concerns: Water – irrigation, proximity, difficult to get more labor, spending lots of time collecting water
  2. Time to collect: Borehole by town council no longer works, renovated spring now damaged, water is a little low
  3. How many access: 190 in village, some go to a far spring, but most use the renovated one
  4. Other major concerns: Elderly don’t have help (ex. To dig pit latrines, domestic help, etc), communication (power sources very far away)
  5. Illnesses: Malaria and diarrhea if no boiling water, chief is telling people to cook water first
  6. Do a lot collect rainwater: They lose a lot of water because they only have small tanks
  7. What do they do about diarrhea: Government clinic, but it’s a long way away
  8. Biggest problem kids face? Health center or school in village, they pass by bad people on the way to school, and no funds for education
  9. Agriculture: Most farm and plant a lot, but harvest very little because of wilt and insects
  10. Greatest need: top 3 problems are health, schools, and help (such as building toilets) for those who can’t
  11. His family’s daily water usage: about 10 jerry cans
  12. Water needed for agriculture, his family: Depends on size of what you planted, squares all need different amounts of water; for instance, 5 acres now use 90 jerry cans if not rainy season
  13. If the well was working better: more water for irrigation; if the water source was working, more water would be available

Chief: Seninde Jackson

Village: Masaba (Kalega)

May 19, 2010 – 3:45 pm

  1. 3 areas of concern: water (no easy access), farming to improve health, and diseases
  2. Water: not very far, but very little compared to village size; not clean enough
  3. 3 wells – one is seep and used as alternate; thus, very long lines and need to wait for dirt to settle each time a jerry can is taken out and another put in – more time necessary
  4. Rainwater catching systems: Not really invested in rainwater catching
  5. Farming issues: pests and wilts, unstable prices – can range from 300 to 100 to 1000 to 700 within days – very hard to predict
  6. How much of the crops do farmers sell? Some sell, but a small amount
  7. Irrigation: None used
  8. Health challenges: Money to pay for medication, some have no way of paying for the hospital, also they have to walk a long distance
  9. Major diseases: Eyes (blurred vision), malaria, diarrhea
  10. Treat water: Big challenge, most don’t cook water (20% do), but he’s trying to teach
  11. How many use each well? 250 per spring, 100 for the seep
  12. If extra water? More farming, bricks, irrigation, domestic use

Chief: Zawedde Rose

Village: Mayirikiti (West)

May 18, 2010 – 2:15 pm

  1. 3 main concerns: water, get a borehole dug, can boost standard of living of people around village
  2. They have to walk a long distance for water – 2 km
  3. Time to get water: when kids aren’t paying – 1 hr, if kids are playing 1-2 hours
  4. How do they treat their drinking water: Most boil, some have pottery filter from RASD
  5. Other issues of concern: toilet issue – 4 donated, but another problem, hygiene bad if not
  6. Children improvement for future: education
  7. Do a lot drop out: most drop because of money and necessity to work
  8. School fees: Low for primary school, senior 4, then continuing is so expensive
  9. Income source: Bricks, farming
  10. Subsistence farming mostly
  11. Improve agriculture output: Sean’s project is promising, vegetables and fruits to sell, others not in organization don’t have a chance, education of farming types, fertilizer
  12. Plant diseases: same wilts (banana and coffee)
  13. No solution to wilt: carry away and plant another if wilt, maybe different types of potatoes, etc.

Chief: Mbiro Aloysius

Village: Kiremba

May 14, 2010 – 3:15 pm

Wants us to work on a stream problem they have (said before we started asking questions)

  1. 3 issues most pressing for people in village?
  1. people generally very poor – income generating activities very low
  2. lots of pests that have come in, coffee wilting, diseases for crops, and a lot of crops are affected
  3. soil exhaustion, using over and over, and fertilizer costly if no animals
  1. Stream

2 springs in area, now little water, lines very long, and water comes very slow. The rest are streams

  1. Issues that face his town in particular as opposed to entire town?

Water and diseases for the plants (pest control)

  1. How do yall water crops? Fetch water vs. rain?

If not enough labor, not enough ability to fetch water, otherwise 200 shillings for hired help for jerry can so no net profit; some wait for rain

  1. Help improve children’s future?

Education, can steal jerry cans but not steal education

  1. Why hard to get education?

School fees (30,000 per town), some can’t pay – too poor (etc. orphan children with big relative family, family must look after own biological children first), coffee wilt -> low harvest = low profit

  1. If education, able to get a job?

Some are, some aren’t – some go to school, others skip; if want to do well, they are doing well; if not, not

  1. Problems with plants?

Wilt (coffee and bananas), coffee weevil

  1. Crop rotation?

Yes, but many end up planting same plant, not knowing what insects can affect one but not another plant

  1. Residents are willing to try new methods of planting
  1. Farmers are involved in Sean’s project
  1. What do the plants look like because of diseases?

Cassava: roots rotting, leaves fall and have holes

Potatoes: bite in middle of leaves, spout goes up rather than down

  1. Any suggestions on how to reduce water lines?

Small tank to keep water in rainy season for later dry season may be helpful

  1. How much appropriate/acceptable to pay?

Trading good, can barter with labor

  1. Major health issues in village?

Cough and malaria for all demographics, cough with fever

  1. Inkind services villages could provide if we did project here (village participation)?

Yes, willing (ex. Pour concrete, shovels, etc)

  1. Any creative idea people in village?

Yes, committee members can be organized for later

  1. When did springs start to dry?

After 8 months; renovated 7 years back; still diminished now with less water

End: 3:45 pm

Went to visit two springs (sources 9 and 10)