Bugoko Water Project Report 

Introduction

This project involves 700 households in the North part of Chikera and 400 households of Chikonyi, which gives 1,100 households in total.

The Bugoko water source has a capacity of 20 litres/minute. The population comes from two backgrounds: Bugoko on the side of Chikera and Mululi on the side of Chikonyi. This source serves these two populations of two neighbourhoods separated by the Cula River. On the social level, our grandfathers told us the story by saying that in past times, to find a wife it was necessary to go down to this source where the young people found the girls who came to draw water and it was the opportunity to find a fiancé who henceforth according to a concluded alliance will become a household (married couple). This source therefore constitutes a history of social and peaceful cohabitation between the two peoples who had been meeting there since 1957.

Note that on the Mululi side, the population have a distance of over 2 kilometres to come and get this rare resource which is water.

The Bugoko site is more dangerous to the population due to the fact that the source is at a depth of at least 3 meters in height. It is important that the tank be built outside this river which has already caused deaths in the population of Mululi and Chikera.

To get to the tap, the population on the side of Chikera experiences enormous difficulties due to the dilapidated bridge because they must first cross the river. 

Activities

Construction of the Bridge

The bridge was very dilapidated and the population was facing a big danger because of this bridge which was not good. In April 2022 a man who was drunk collapsed on this bridge and directly died. The same year in August 2022, two ladies who were going to fetch water fell in and one lady broke her right leg and the other her back. The second lady spent three months at the hospital. When we started this project, we got information that her back still causes her severe pain and she needs to go to hospital for a new treatment.

People were therefore super happy for the action of building this bridge and are very grateful to ACLUP and its donor, Bright Hope World, who are giving hope to the population through its actions in the area.

In image above, you can see this kid having difficulty crossing the bridge after fetching water. He asked for help from someone else to cross with his recipient carrying the water and himself crossing in the way you can see in this picture.

Now the bridge is built, it causes happiness for all the population of the two villages especially for those for Chikera/Bugoko because the water may be fetched at the other side by crossing the Cula river.

Water Capturing and Construction of Tank 

We started by a negotiation due to the fact that the field in which the spring is situated brought a big misunderstanding between the community and the family of the owner. The proprietor of the ground was in opposition with everybody involved (local leaders, police, and ACLUP). Previously ACLUP had discussed things with his late father but unfortunately, he passed away and his son inherited the land forsaken by his late father. We then had a discussion with the mediation of the local leaders, and he accepted to sell the land to ACLUP who represented the community. US$2,000 was used for this and he wrote a definitive document for the community and ACLUP which gives the eternal property to the community and water in that field. This modified our plan a bit, but all was well arranged.

Construction of the tank or the decantation bac
Bugoko is a particular place which was complicated to build as the water spring was in a rock. It seemed that it was in the soil but the reality it was in a rock. Two options were observed. Firstly, the spring at the lower altitude (big water quantity) but this was not able to be crossed out the river because water cannot go up the other side. If so, we would need to have a pump to push water. Secondly, water in the rock which was at the altitude as to have a possibility of crossing water out at the other side. This was our best option. We needed to bring pipe out of the river so as to avoid people coming down into the river and being injured.

We struggled much to make a decision, but the engineer decided to build the decantation bac in the hole, and this plays the role of a tank connected with the filter which is approximatively at the same place. We were very happy to get water at the side we planned to be, and our population now are very happy for that.

By the photos you can see how the young people are committed to find the water in the altitude. The rock was very difficult to avoid. I congratulated the effort of the team. They worked hard, until water was found. After a lot of hard work, we did get water at the altitude, 5 meters, that we were looking for. Now, the population can fetch water at the other side.

Built the place of fetching water
Our objectives were one of protecting the population against the risk of being injured and transported by the river when it is raining but also one of providing to them the security and ability of fetching water without any stress. The pipe has been extended from the decantation bac to the place reserved to them to fetch water.

This image bottom right gives the real view of the bridge and the place where people will actually fetch water. They will no longer be coming down into the river, but they’ll get water out of the river and this will avoid accidents and reduce diseases.

In this photo we are testing the quantity of water that will serve the population and we are happy and satisfied for the job done. We decided to not put taps because are destroyed before two months. We believe that no ability to stop the water is necessary for this place. Thanks for the labour, thanks for the team and Bright Hope World.

These photos were taken before the end of all the work, one day before I travelled to Zimbabwe. 

Comments

On behalf of the population of Chikera and Cikonyi, the local leaders and representatives of Christian churches, expressed thanks to ACLUP DRC and Bright Hope World. They say that they are satisfied and praise the Lord through the works that ACLUP DRC had just done. They say thanks for the bridge built and the way ACLUP with his donor (Bright Hope World) keep a watch on the difficulties raised by populations.