“We are all happy”: how clean water changed everything in Te Abala

Well Worth It is our well drilling project that seeks to provide & restore clean water access to communities in northern Uganda. The project arose out of the findings of our Impact Report for Cents for Seeds. The data from the measurement showed that overall wellbeing of everyone in a household is directly linked with access to water. Now, with each new well drilled, communities have access to clean water and a better chance to break the cycle of poverty.

In Te Abala, unclean water caused major issues for the community, including sickness, domestic violence, child endangerment, and poverty. Watch the video below to see how access to a nearby clean water source has united the community and fundamentally changed their lives for the better!

Read the full transcript below

Love Mercy Presents Clean Water 

“Our community is united together. We have peace, we have unity. There is no hatred among us. I love our community. I love our children and all the people around here.  

I love having clean water in our community. We did not have clean water before.  

I really wanted clean water. We had never had clean water around here.  

We really wanted clean water, but there was no one to help us.  

The unclean water brought many challenges to my family.  

We used to send our children a long distance to fetch water. Along the way, they were in danger. Other people would beat them as they were coming and going to get water.  

One of the major issues we were facing was sickness. We had diarrhea often. We had malaria often. Our animals would not get enough water to drink or die from drinking dirty water. Since the animals were dying because of those diseases, our poverty continued.  

I really wanted clean water because I wanted my family to be healthy.  The day they came to drill the water, there were so many people here!  

In May 2023, Te Abala Village received clean water for the first time, giving access to over 1,000 people.  

Having clean water has changed my life! 

Our animals are drinking enough water and our children can bathe every day.  

Now that we have clean water, we can even grow vegetables during dry season. It has also helped reduce domestic violence. Husbands are not as jealous about why you were gone for so long fetching water.  

Clean water is so important. Since we began using clean water for drinking, our health status has improved. We don’t have worms in our stomachs. We cook clean food.  

People from surrounding communities also come here to fetch water. We happy to share with them! 

Together, these community leaders care for Te Abala’s only borehole. They will ensure the ongoing operation of the well for consistent access for years to come.  

Thank you so much to Love Mercy. Because of the clean water, the children are happy, the elders are happy, we are all happy”.