Update from Kenneth Twinamasiko

Below the most recent update from the Kigezi Diocese Water & Sanitation Programme (KDWSP) which is receiving our harvest offering at the Abbey through Tearfund. We are a Connected Church to this project, and the Kigezi Diocese is linked with the Deanery of North Wiltshire.

Dear Supporting Churches

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. On behalf of KDWSP I take this privilege to thank you for your financial and spiritual support through prayers for KDWSP’s continued work. I thank the connected Churches that have in addition to raising resources, sent representatives to live the life we lead, work and experience life in a developing country. They have been a great encouragement to us and the communities that we work in. Their kind words, prayers and selfless commitment while daring the bad roads to hard to reach areas and their promise to come back and share their stories, give us the great hope for a stronger partnership and link. They have been wonderful teams and we encourage more churches to send teams from whom we learn a lot too.

An update from the last 3 months.

KDWSP runs a functional rain water centre that provides an opportunity for organisations with training needs in rain water harvesting technologies. Over the last 3 months KDWSP has conducted skills based training for 80 trainees (40 from Rwenzori Diocese, 20 from Diocese of Muhabura Water and Sanitation Programme and 20 from Muyebe Archdeaconry) in construction of rain water facilities, rain water tanks of capacities ranging between 4000 – 30,000 litres and jars of 420 and 1500 litres.

The 4 week training entailed theory of rain water harvesting - rationale and importance of rain water harvesting, facility sizing and location setting, assessing the catchment in regard to yield, criteria for selection of the technology, assessing materials and entrepreneurial skills to enable them to market their skills.

The trainees were passed out on two colourful functions presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Kigezi, Rt. Rev George Katwesigye, who blessed and commissioned  each person to go out and become agents for increasing accessibility to clean water. Bishop George has pledged continued support to the Dioceses of Muhabura and Rwenzori to enable them to start vibrant water and sanitation programmes in their Diocese.

Women from Kagorora are empowered.

KDWSP have being training women from Kagorora Church to construct rain water collection tanks to improve the community’s access to safe water. They are now very busy installing water points and are working on a 4000 litre capacity tank to help households in the area access safe water easily. Previously women had to travel over 3 km to fetch water but now they feel empowered and able to put this burden to an end. Through the training provided by KDWSP women have not only benefitted from access to clean water but have also improved their incomes and livelihoods as they are paid to construct the tanks. According to their chairman, Agness, they have been able to build improved houses and pay school fees for their children. Alongside their husbands they have also been able to begin other income generating activities because during their training they looked at resource mobilisation and learnt entrepreneurial skills.

This work has helped to improve the status of women in their communities and improved their relationships with their households. Across the community they have been elected to leadership positions and given roles in managing church affairs too. They are grateful to Kigezi Diocese and Tearfund for the training opportunities and technical follow up that has enabled them to produce quality work.

The training of women from the local churches and other Dioceses has enabled the local church to spread the gospel through actions which are helping to eradicate poverty.

Praise God.

• God has helped us to secure two new vehicles for our field trips
• We have had His protection, guidance and favour in all we do that is great we return the glory back to  Him
• We prayed for a new Bishop and we have a Bishop elect Rev. Canon George Bagamuhunda who is currently working as Provincial Secretary and is a former KDWSP Coordinator
• We were able to accomplish 3 gravity flow schemes and 2 have already been commissioned and one more is yet to be commissioned.
• Thank God for all the groups who have been able to visit us, for their encouragement to us and for all they were able to see and do.

Prayer requests.

• God’s protection and continued grace and unity as they continue to work to maintain facilities and use them in a lucrative and sustainable way
• See beyond water points to realise holistic development
• To be good examples to others in their communities and show love for Christ through sharing water to promote oneness and togetherness in their community
• Mr. Wise Musinguzi, our senior plumber, lost his wife during child birth, please remember him and others who have lost their loved ones
• A smooth transition between Bishops, we strongly believe that the new Bishop will be supportive to our work. Pray for a calm, ordered and God centred transition process.
• Strength  and means raise local contribution to both rain water harvesting and gravity flow scheme projects
• God’s favour upon these communities so that they are able to overcome abject poverty and other communities be able to learn from them
• The un-served communities to get the opportunities to be served with water projects so that they have sufficient clean water and time to engage in other productive pieces of work

We continue to remember you in our prayers and are most grateful all of your support for our work

With love in Christ,

Kenneth Twinamasiko

Kenneth works for Kigezi Diocese Water and Sanitation Programme as a communications and advocacy officer and lives in Kabale town. He and his wife Queen Immaculate have 3 children, Dianne (7), Keith (6) and Kerry Jeremaiah (3 months). Dianne in P.2 and Keith in P.1 are completing their school term in May so please pray that they enjoy learning.

The Kigezi Diocese Water and Sanitation Programme (KDWSP) is part of the Anglican Church of Uganda and works in communities in Uganda’s mountainous south-west to provide safe water and sanitation facilities. The project has improved general health, and children who previously had to fetch water (mostly girls) can now attend school. KDWSP also trains community members to maintain the facilities, to ensure sustainable and long-lasting change.