Schools in Maracha District that have endured years of inaccessible clean water caused by a chronic water shortage have a sigh of relief.
Modest Bandale, the Director of Studies for Yivu Secondary School at Yivu SS Village, in Alikuwa Sub-county recalls students queuing at the lone community-shared borehole or walking to unsafe streams, exposing them to disease, conflict, and harassment.
Discipline broke down, meals were delayed, and hygiene collapsed, leading to frequent outbreaks of diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera.
The transformation began after President Yoweri Museveni’s directive that led to the installation of a solar-powered piped water system by the Ministry of Water and Environment.
The project, part of a national program, now supplies clean water directly inside the school compound.
Head Prefect Morish Adrapi says boys no longer trek to distant rivers to bathe, while Head Girl Winny Neva calls the change “life-changing” for girls who previously faced unsafe trips for water.
The renewal strengthens a school that has produced leaders like Dr. Amabayo of Busitema University turning water from a source of chaos into stability.
By Ben Musanje
27th Nov 2025
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