 Mawanga, Uganda 
Parish: Mawanga
Sub-County:Masafu
County: Samia South
District: Busia
Distance to nearest water source: 2.5 km
Population: 5,500 Adults + 8,000 children
The name of the village is Mawanga (pronounced Muh-WANG-ah) and it is located in the Busia District on the southern part of the Samia Region. Today, these villagers travel 2.5 kilometers each way to collect contaminated water from an open pond. Despite the Government’s efforts to educate and sensitize villagers on ways to help safeguard available drinking water, most villagers are semi-illiterate and the warnings are often not understood or go unheeded. When families do not observe proper sanitary precautions such as latrines, heavy rains will wash the waste products in to the open ponds, rivers and streams. Because they have had to consume tainted water for so long villagers continue to drink from these dirty, polluted sources. Only when there is an urgent health risk such as on outbreak of cholera or other communicable diseases will they observe the community heath precautions.
In addition to facing the danger of drinking contaminated water, development in the village of Mawanga has been slow in coming due to the fact they have not politically supported the Member of Parliament that oversees this village. Pastor Hillary Malo, water project manager, shares an African quote that sums up this situation saying, “If you need to have more milk from one’s cow, you must feed it well.” The neglected and suffering lives of the people in Mawanga are about to drastically improve though, through your generous and heartfelt love. With your incomparable gift of a borehole pure, fresh, life-sustaining water will be easily accessible and will soon nourish and strengthen them for a healthy today and a bright tomorrow.
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