COVID-19 Response

While deaths have started being realized so fast in Uganda in the face of COVID-19 pandemic , BUVAD is at the front-line working in partnership with the Kayunga District Task Force against the COVID -19 pandemic.

With your help, we are focused on reducing the pressures on water sources in the area with the increased demand for water at every corner towards regular hand washing with soap in prevention of the spread of COVID in Kayunga. So far, 12 cases have been confirmed in Kayunga District and the number is generating so fast.

The pressure of long queues and overload on water sources is a life threatening situation while the ability of our poor communities to buy bar soap to themselves is terribly poor within a tough lock-down.

BUVAD along with your support, intends to renovate the broken down community borehole water sources and also donate bar soap and liquid soap for hand washing both at the households and water sources respectively.

We are overwhelmed with need against meager resources!  It’s upon this background that we call for your backup support. 

Repair of one borehole water source is estimated to require not more than $1,363. With your support we can repair 30 of these in two sub counties of Kayunga, Nazigo, Kitimbwa and Kangulumira the so far COVID cases source sub counties in the District. Each bore hole serves about 300 (above) direct beneficiaries a day. 

We also need to buy bar soap for an estimate of 1,200 elderly and needy households.

BUVAD is in urgent need of your support as we stick to the front line. In the so far conducted radio talk shows to disseminate the New Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at Public water source facilities / boreholes, the general Ministry of Health COVID-19 preventive measures to fight against the spread COVID-19, most call-ins are cries for more help with the government broken down boreholes’ repair, need for more borehole wells and need for support for soap for the elderly and needy in those hard to reach remote areas. 

Also people are calling for the establishment of accessible free COVID-19 testing centres as there isn’t any in Kayunga District. The nearest testing centre is in Entebbe, a distance of about 71.8 miles from Kayunga town and 130.1 miles from the furthest end (Galiraya) of Kayunga District. 90% of the people in Kayunga cannot afford this transport cost.  I believe the COVID-19 cases might be beyond 12 but lack contact tracing/testing equipment nearby is most likely to escalate the pandemic crisis!

Sincerely the need is big! We humbly request you to partner with us at the front-line!

BUVAD in partnership with the Kayunga District Task Force on COVID-19 prevention, with support from GIZ and European Union (EU) under Civil Society in Uganda Support Programme (CUSP) has conducted twelve (12) Orientation meetings of Water User Management Committees comprised of 13 participants each, siting 4 meters apart from each other and wearing face masks, to disseminate the New Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at Public water source facilities / boreholes, the general Ministry of Health COVID-19 preventive measures to fight against the spread COVID-19, distributed hand washing facilities and COVID-19 prevention utilities such as; bar soap, liquid Soap and face masks to some water user management committee members and needy households (theeledrly, vulnerable HIV/Aids affected) in order to fight against the spread of COVID-19 at public water sources and in rural hard to reach areas of Kayunga District.

Specific objectives:

• COVID-19 prevention and dissemination of the New Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at water source points by the Ministry of Water and Environment to water users in Kayunga District.
• Increase response among community members in following the New Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid by the Ministry of Water and Environment.
• Increase Compliance with Standard Operating Procedures among water Users and communities.
• Improve the relations and increase collaboration between Kayunga District Leadership and Civil Society Organizations.