Visiting Uganda

In October 2023 we traveled to the area around Fort Portal in Uganda with a group of ambassadors. There we were able to see the results of the hard work of local entrepreneurs with our own eyes. We received a warm welcome, and had an inspiring journey in this beautiful country.

Tangible results

A visit to Uganda is no small feat. The 11-hour flight and the more than six-hour drive afterwards, crossing bumpy roads, makes it quite a challenge. It was worth it for us, though.

We had not visited a project since before the first lockdown of 2020, and it remains important and above all inspiring to see the results of our investments with our own eyes and to be able to discuss it with the communities locally.

We visited many local partners executing the work, and were invited to various local groups that are happily using the newly constructed water points on a daily basis.

Visiting schools

For example, we had a tour of a local primary school by Headmaster Josephine, who told us in great detail about the situation before the arrival of running water and latrines for the students and staff. Josephine is a fantastic example of the innovative entrepreneurship that’s alive and well in the region. Not only have all the water systems there been carefully installed – she has also taken future maintenance into account, and has already submitted a plan for additional fund grants for further expansion of the facilities.

Watch more videos of our impact journey

Ambassadors

A group of nine ambassadeurs from seven different companies, from both The Netherlands and The UK, joined us. It was just as enriching an experience for them as it was for us. Many of them work in a related industry, such as installation technology, cleaning products or water systems. This gave them the unique opportunity to have thoughtful discussions about the best ways to save water or install systems. Ambassador Bart from Koffiepartners was also inspired by the many coffee beans we saw displayed on the side of the roads along the way, and spoke to local farmers about how they grow, dry, roast and sell them.

“

It is not easy to throw a group of entrepreneurs together and try to get them to stick to a tight schedule. We are stubborn by nature. We’ve been very lucky with this group. I’d love to stay in touch with each and every one of them after this amazing experience we had together.

Jordan Hurley, Soap2O

”

So many stories to tell

We’ve been home for two months now, and we are still bursting with stories to tell. We’re happy to share these with you. So keep an eye on our website for future updates about our visit to beautiful Uganda. We’re going to tell you more about the impact of our donations on schools, how local entrepreneurs work, and how our ambassadors experienced the trip.

Naturally, we also want to share more about the results of this project, which is aimed to be completed by the end of 2023. Fortunately, we don’t have to say goodbye to Uganda just yet. We have decided to support the follow-up to this project, which will also last three years. More about that soon, too.

WASH & Learn

In this sequel to the water vending machines, innovation and girls are central to achieving access to clean drinking water. In this new phase, we are expanding to Uganda to provide water to communities there as well.

However, that does not mean that we can choose exactly the same approach and technique. We have to look at how we work per location. This is how we arrived at what we are going to do here: realize 15 new water points, rehabilitate 3 old ones, 19 rainwater collection tanks and 15 hand washing points.

All about this project

You might want to read these updates too:

WASH & Learn update May 2023

Our WASH & Learn project in Uganda should be completed by the end of this year. Time to check whether we are on schedule.

WASH & Learn update: Innovations

Our WASH & Learn project in Uganda has clear targets but no fixed approach. This creates very interesting innovations that appear to work very well…

Show all updates