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Oyam locals partner with American family to construct 41 boreholes
This picture taken on March 23, 2022 shows people walking near one of the boreholes constructed by the community in partnership with development partners John Foley and his wife Victoria (inset) in Loro Sub-county in Oyam District. PHOTO/BILL OKETCH
What you need to know:
- JF Well Works Africa was created by John Foley and his wife Victoria in response to the desperate need for clean water in impoverished parts of the world.
At least 41 new boreholes worth over Shs738million have been constructed in Oyam District by the community in partnership with a family in the United States of America (USA).
Local leaders said the community contributed more than Shs100, 000 towards the construction of the boreholes in their villages.
The money was collected by village chairpersons and taken to the sub-counties before it was submitted to the district.
Mr Benson Dila Oyuku, the district chairman, said the community also donated land, where the water points have been constructed. JF Well Works Africa, a non-governmental organization, contributed Shs738 million.
JF Well Works Africa was created by John Foley and his wife Victoria in response to the desperate need for clean water in impoverished parts of the world.
Currently, the organization founded by the family in the US is working in the Lango Sub-region of northern Uganda.
Accordingly, a total of 33,903 people in the water stressed sub-counties of Loro, Myene and Otwal, all in Oyam District, have benefited from their helping hands. And the intervention has increased the water coverage in Oyam from 69 per cent to 72.2 per cent.
“The government gives us only one borehole for each sub-county in a financial year which is not enough. The support by JF Well Works Africa will go a long way in addressing the issue of water shortage in our district,” Oyam LC5 chairman said.
Mr Patrick Otim, the LC1 chairman of Agoba Village in Loro Sub-county, said that communal shortage of clean and safe drinking water exposed locals to water borne diseases.
JF Well Works Africa started drilling boreholes in the Lango Sub-region in 2018.
“I want to come back here after 10 years and see these boreholes still working. That’s my goal and I hope everybody enjoys this water. And we are trying to drill as many wells as we can,” JF Well Works Africa director Mr John Foley remarked at the commissioning of 15 new boreholes in Loro Sub-county on Wednesday.
The Oyam Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Ms Jillian Akullo thanked the organization for the support.
For Mr Tobbias Kamara, the community development facilitator of JF Well Works Africa, “their vision is to increase the water coverage in Oyam to 95 per cent in the next four years.”
The organization has so far drilled 41 boreholes in the area since 2018.
