As our followers will know, we have been busy supporting our current project partners across the world, helping them to deal in the best way possible with the challenges they, and the communities they support, face from Covid-19.

It is great to be getting feedback on how the emergency funding and support is being put to use. This week we have had photographs of the essential borehole repair work taking place in Kabubbu, Uganda.

The Quicken Trust has been working with the community in Kabubbu for many years. As in other parts of the developing world, rural communities in Africa have little opportunity for social isolation from the Covid-19 virus because many live in 2 room houses with often 8 or 9 inhabitants. They have no access to sanitised hand gel or face masks, and so their only protection from the virus is soap and water.

Whilst Kabubbu has a number of boreholes and water harvesting tanks in the community, four of the boreholes have been awaiting repair. They were originally installed with metal pipework that has degraded over time, and whilst the community take responsibility for funding and carrying out the maintenance and upkeep, funds are limited so work has to be scheduled over time.

However, with the current threat to the community from the virus, and soap and water an absolute essential in controlling the spread, the need to repair the boreholes became a high priority.

With some additional support from Fonthill, the community has been able to access the materials needed, and are well underway to completing the repairs to get the boreholes back up and running. It is great to hear that the old metal pipe is being replaced with more durable plastic piping that will reduce maintenance costs over the longer term, meaning more of the communities limited funds can go towards other essential projects such as agriculture and health.

Watch the short Quicken Trust video on the Covid-19 hand washing support here.