Stick By Stick Makes a Bundle

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Stick by Stick Makes a Bundle examines the social implications of limited and unsafe water on rural Ugandan communities heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  

This film is a journey into the lives of the most vulnerable members of these communities, in particular women and children, and examines the way in which water scarcity affects their lives.   

Stick By Stick Makes a Bundle

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Welcome Back to Uganda - Project Video

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Take a tour of the sites and meet the people that you have helped with your generous donations!

(BEST VIEWED AT 1/2 SCREEN)

Please forgive our oversight - We missed crediting the following people for their donations in the video:

SO THANK YOU TO:

MONICA MARTIN

JOE KELLY

BARABARA WASILEWSKI

MICHEL JOHNSON

JULIE LECLERC

MICHELLE SAVARD et MIVILLE LECLERC

MICHELLE LECLERC ET JEAN-PIERRE REY

JEAN-NICOLAS BOUCHER

SYLVIE CARRIER

MARILOU LEVAC GAGNON

IRIS TREMBLAY, MIREILLE AUDET

So here we are, exactly 22 hours from our departure from Uganda. The eight months Denise and I have spent here have been some of the most rewarding yet. This, in large part, is thanks to your support, be it monetary or otherwise. We could not have done it without you, nor could you have done it without us...We got a lot to be proud of!

It was an ambitious idea to begin with, and with the overwhelming support we received, it turned into something BIG. Together, between late November and late February, we raised around 15,000 USD! No small feat. Now what to do with all that money???

In the end, we built 14 rainwater harvesting tanks, held four intensive trainings on tank management as well as hygiene and sanitation and renovated Kanaa's home which was as close as it gets to collapsing (Kaana is the young woman in the fund raising video "Stick by Stick" who at 14, must take care of her blind mother and numerous siblings). We also bought some iron sheets for the house of another orphan, Kuvo (age 12).

The rainwater tanks include four of 20,000 liters in capacity and one of 10,000, built at three primary schools, one high school, and one orphanage learning center. The remaining nine tanks were all of 4,000 liters in capacity and were constructed in two villages. They were built by the 12 villagers, all of whom were subsistence farmers, we trained to become skilled masons. A new skill has been left behind in the communities and womens savings groups established so that in a couple years' time, our masons will have found work, and other households safe water.


If you are interested in seeing the whole process, please view the video above, it is worth it! On the behalf of Denise and myself, and on that of the 1,500 lives you have changed, thanks again.

PROJECT BEGINS!!!!

Here is a little update from Uganda...

After months of planning, our first project has finally begun and it would be a big lie to pretend we were anything but elated about it!

A couple months ago (after the video was finished), we were forced to abandon the idea of building communally managed rainwater harvesting tanks in the village setting. There are many reasons for this change in plan but most importantly, it is because these types of projects have failed before.

This is because the amount of water supplied in a 10,000 or 20,000 liter tank is simply too small to meet the large demand and causes more problems than it is able to solve (not to mention the difficulties that come with their management).

Also, as large surface areas (roofs) are needed to catch enough water to fill these tanks, most Ugandan homes typically quite small, and few villages possessing institutional roofs large enough to do the trick (school, church, district office, etc), yet more problems arise.

So, after much research and many conversations with various experts in the field (rainwater harvesting) from the UK, Uganda and other parts of the world, we changed our approach to one that has proven successful in our particular setting. We redirected our efforts to the household level.

Our new project includes the training of 10 people from two villages (Kyakabalu & Buyanja) on how to build 4,000 liter tanks, all of them having been selected in community meetings (according to vulnerability and need). Out of the 10, all will learn the skill and five of them will be provided with the necessary materials to have their own tank.

In leaving this skill in the villages, the goal is that they will in turn be hired by their neighbors to build more tanks in the community. Through sensitization and the formation of savings groups (clustered according to income and capacity to work together), we hope to see a few more tanks spring up in the next couple of years which would truly make this project a success!

Because the need for clean water is so great in this particular area, the reduced costs of labor found with the new village ‘masons’, combined with the continued support and monitoring of savings groups which have been formed, will undoubtedly make the dream of clean water an real possibility for many households in the near future.

The two women who are teaching the villagers how to build them arrived last Saturday, which marked the official beginning of the last phase of our project, implementation. After finalizing the purchasing of materials on Sunday, they were brought to the village to begin their 4 week course. Every week, they are moving to a different house (where the necessary materials are waiting) and building one 4,000 liter tank. By the final week, those being trained will be able to construct one without their help. The fifth tank will be built solely by the villagers as the women will have returned to their homes.

Over the past two weeks, the five villagers who will be benefiting not only of the training, but also of the tank have been working hard to contribute what they can in terms of locally available materials.

Each of the five households was able to collect three tons of aggregate (small stones) and one ton of hardcore (big stones) upon which each tank will be constructed. They have also prepared a room for the trainers who will be living with them in the village, while providing them with food and water for the duration of their stay.

It has been unbelievable to see the level of commitment on their parts in achieving the goals we had agreed to some time back. As of Monday, the first tank has been under construction at Violet’s home (a widow of 60 years of age).

The atmosphere on site is truly wonderful and everything is going extremely well. All in all, there are eight women and two men who are participating in the training, and a myriad of family members all eager to participate in any way they can. If only you could see….(but you will, we will have pictures and clips coming your way in the near future)

The second part of the project will officially begin in mid-February when the masons will arrive to begin construction. We have (with your help) raised enough funds to construct three 20,000 liter tanks and one 10,000 liter tank at three schools and one orphanage center respectively. We have already been engaging the various school management committees in terms of commitments to this project.

All schools (and orphanage) have agreed to amass the necessary stones (like the villages, only more), provide unskilled labor for 2 weeks (duration of construction) to help the masons (as well as their food and shelter). Moreover, they will be attending two separate seminars we (an expert) will be offering them, the first concerning sustainable management for the committees, and the second with hygiene and sanitation for the headmasters, science teachers, and selected students from each school (‘water captains’).

Regarding the later, the teachers will in turn, sensitize the school’s students on the various topics discussed in the seminar. The school management committees have also agreed to sensitizing the parents about the on-going project and also collect 2,000 USH ($ 1.2 ) from each household as a contribution (all of these steps are aimed at fostering a sense of ownership within the beneficiaries) to this project.

Over the next two weeks, we will be monitoring the schools to make sure all materials and money has been collected when the masons arrive (the new term begins on Monday). We are confident this will go very well as all parties have assured us not only of their need for water, but complete commitment to this project. Both the village and school projects will end in the beginning of March….

We will keep you posted! Lots of love from Lyantonde, Uganda.

Thank you to Ms. Gwen Tagtmeier and her Senior Honors English Class at East Leyden High School (Franklin Park, Illinois) for volunteering to help fundraise for this project!

If you have any questions that were not answered by the VIDEO or BROCHURE, please check out the QUESTION & ANSWER section of the blog (below), or contact us directly.

VIDEO: Stick by Stick Makes a Bundle

Note: This is a flash movie, you will need to install the Flash Plugin to view it.

A 35 minute documentary on the water crisis in southwestern Uganda's Lyantonde District. This film examines the impact of limited and unsafe water on vulnerable communities in a rural district of Uganda. The film focuses on the most vulnerable members of this AIDS afflicted region, especially, women, orphans, child-headed households and people living with HIV/AIDS.

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BROCHURE

Below is a resume of our project with a couple pics. (?!?!? Don't be shy, talk about it, shout about it...distribute it). For a hard copy that is printable, foldable and distributable - please email us We miss you. Love, J-M & D.
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UGANDANS WORKING FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES

In July of 2007, two young Canadians arrived in Uganda (East Africa) after a year of planning. They were to begin work with a local community-based organization called PARDI (Participatory Action for Rural Development Initiative), led by a team of young and passionate Ugandans. PARDI’s primary focus is to improve the lives of the most impoverished and vulnerable members of society, such as those living with HIV/AIDS, widows and orphans.

POVERTY & AIDS IN RURAL UGANDA

As most of you know, the problems are many in our world’s poorest countries. Uganda is no exception. Here, poverty affects every aspect of life from basic needs such as shelter and nutrition, to chances for a brighter future in terms of access to education and health services.

Compounding these challenges are those brought about by disease. Although the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS in Africa is well known, the long term impacts of the virus has received little attention. In Uganda, over 1 million HIV/AIDS related deaths have left behind 2.2 million orphans and vulnerable children now fighting to survive. Their swelling numbers have overwhelmed communities and government, both struggling to provide them with assistance and support.

CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS

The first AIDS cases in Africa were recorded in the Lyantonde/Rakai Districts, making it one of the areas in the world most severely affected by the pandemic. There are over 40, 000 orphans in this district and 1,000 children live without parents or guardians in child-headed households (CHHs).

Over the past six years, PARDI has provided counseling and psycho-social support to these children, as well as clothes, shelter, food, clean water and education (including vocational training). In a survey conducted by PARDI in 2003, 68% of the orphans interviewed mentioned lack of food and water as their most immediate problems.

WATER IS LIFE

In rural Ugandan families, women and children bear the brunt of fetching water for the family. Depending on the season, this can take anywhere between 1 to 5 hours and span, on average, a distance of 2 to 6 km. Entire families are sometimes forced to relocate to other villages in order to have ready access to water.

For children, these long treks before class time often translate into absenteeism and fatigue. The 2003 Lyantonde District Education report indicates that there is a 35% drop-out rate in primary schools because of water scarcity.

As for mothers, instead of using their energy to work on the shambas (fields) or on income generating activities (eg: raising poultry, weaving), their attention must, like that of their children, be focused on fetching water.

ABUSE OF WOMEN & CHILDREN

The walk in search of water, especially during the dry season (8 months or more of the year), is not without danger. Often passing through remote areas, young girls and women are left at the mercy of assailants. Reports of rape are not uncommon. Children are often advised to travel in large groups to avoid sexual predators. Those guilty of such offenses, if found at all, often settle with the victim’s family through monetary compensation. Here, the profoundly disturbing effects of poverty can be observed.

During the dry season, physical violence is common as those in search of water get into fights over positioning in the line-up at the water source. The women, and especially the children, must sometimes wait for hours before they can return home, not only pushed aside by men collecting water to sell, but also by each other.

DROUGHT & FAMINE IN LYANTONDE DISTRICT

Because this geographical area receives an abnormally small amount of rainfall every year, droughts causing regular food and water shortages are common. During the rainy season, the communities in this region rely on swamps or ‘unprotected-dug wells’ (large holes dug in the ground) to catch rain water.

Many ‘unprotected-dug wells’ are shared with farm animals (cattle, goats, pigs etc) that drink and defecate near the water sources. When it rains, water flows through towns, farms and fields and into the ‘unprotected dug well’, collecting bacteria, garbage, fertilizers and human/animal waste as it goes. Consequently, community members point to the large number of waterborne diseases afflicting them, such as dysentery, cholera and various stomach worms and bacteria.

Another tragic aspect of these ‘wells’ are the number of children that drown each year while trying to retrieve water for their families.

SAFE WATER FOR ORPHANS, WIDOWS & PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS

Although the aim of the local government is to reduce the distance between every individual and a water source to 2 km (whether safe or not), their capacity to do so is limited. PARDI is trying to fill this gap by raising funds to construct rain water tanks for the most vulnerable members of the community.

To accomplish this goal, we are asking for your help.

PARDI field staff and its board of directors have, in conjunction with vulnerable schools and communities in the Lyantonde district, agreed on specific areas where the tanks are to be erected. During the past few months, we have worked hard to ensure that the chosen locations, communities, and schools will help the most vulnerable.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

After meetings with these communities and discussing the project (details below), we asked them how they could help us and were amazed with the response. They offered to participate through small financial contributions, the provision of basic materials (bricks, sand), labor, food and accommodation for skilled workmen, and the establishment of a water committee to ensure the upkeep of the rain water tanks.

Ensuring the communities are willing to contribute to any project is important for two major reasons: Firstly, it provides confirmation that the project addresses an issue considered to be a priority, and secondly, it creates a sense of ownership, vital to the sustainability of the project.

Additionally, seminars on the proper use of water tanks and on the importance of clean water and hygiene will be held at all chosen sites.

While we are also seeking to obtain grants for our project, the assurance that something can be done begins with you.

HARVESTING RAIN WATER

Rain water collection systems consist of installing gutters around a tin roof, thereby directing rain water into one or more large cement tanks. Each tank is covered (to protect the water source and children), and includes a filter and a faucet to access the water. They can each contain 20,000 liters of safe water and alleviate the water crisis by storing water during the rainy season to be used during the dry season. Each tank costs about 2,400 USD.

Our goal is to construct one cement tank at each of the chosen locations. They include six vulnerable communities, and six vulnerable schools. The project’s total cost is approximately 28,800 USD ( 12 tanks, 12 sites). Any donations exceeding this amount will be used to construct additional tanks at selected locations. Our fundraising deadline is December 30th, 2007 (late donations will not be refused. Construction begins in January 2008.

TO DONATE
(Any amount makes a big difference!)

Payment Methods:

 Via INTERNET using PAY PAL: Click on "Make A Donation" (at the top of this page)! This will automatically bring you to the PAY PAL website where you will be able to pay by credit card, or register and create an account. The process is simple & quick.

 PERSONAL CHECKS and CASH: Payable to Ms. Donna Buckley, Ms. Suzanne Leclerc, Mr. Trevor Kennedy, Reverend Graham Kennedy, Mr. Jeff Dalziel, Mr. Emmanuel Resch, Ms. Maia Leclerc, Ms. Lisa Lefebvre, Ms. Natalie Hunter, Mr. Tony Saker, Ms. Sara Kerastas, Mr. Homero Brum, Mr. Eamon Tierney & Mr. Francois Poilly. These are PARDI’s Canadian Fundraising Volunteers, responsible for the collection of Canadian funds.

 If you would like to transfer your donations directly to our Canadian bank accounts, this can also be done online, through your INTERNET BANKING service (Canadian banks can offer e-mail as a means to transfer money from your account to another).

 Otherwise, contact the project managers for our account information! Jean-Michel Kennedy (dr_jmk@hotmail.com) or Denise Brennan (denise.brennan@gmail.com). The money will be wired to Uganda.

Thank you so much,
Jean-Michel Kennedy and Denise Brennan

For additional information about PARDI, please visit http://www.pardiusa.apictureaday.com/ or contact PARDI’s Program Manager, Richard Hagaba at richardhagaba@yahoo.ca

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