Brian Banks is a student who is traveling throughout Africa this summer and visiting a number of GlobalGiving projects. On May 14th he visited "Provide education to AIDS orphans in rural Uganda." When asked what he would tell his friends about this project, Brian said: “Incredible: You need to see this!"

At first we thought it was some child’s sculptural masterpiece made of sticks, strings, and a plastic container; but we quickly learned that this was the tippy tap, one of KDF’s ingenious and lifesaving inventions. KDF is the organization implementing the “Provide Piped Water to 5,000 in Uganda.” The tippy tap, used for hand washing, is one of the many home-grown interventions that KDF is using to improve water and sanitation in local communities. Tippy taps have been supported by KDF’s hygiene promoters, volunteers working in their local communities that have been trained in best sanitation practices. KDF, with the help of GlobalGiving, provided volunteers with bicycles, making it easier to spread knowledge about good sanitation behaviors.

Although KDF has only been receiving funding from GlobalGiving for three years, the organization has had an impressive impact using that funding. Aside from the hygiene promoters, GlobalGiving has also funded an “eco-san” toilet. Not only does this serve as a hygienic toilet (in a community that needed one) but it provides “humanure,” a safe fertilizer from human waste. This serves Buyijja, a largely agricultural community.

Next, we visited a 90 year old man with severely limited mobility that had benefitted from a KDF rain water catchment right outside his home. The numerous orphans living with their elderly grandfather also benefit, as do his neighbors. His is among eight individuals and families that have received personal water collectors because they are unable to reach a water source. Other beneficiaries include a blind man and a bed-ridden mother with AIDS. The families we met with were overwhelmed with gratitude for these life saving devices funded by GlobalGiving.

Today KDF is using GlobalGiving funding to construct a system that will provide clean water to 5,000 individuals that currently rely on dirty ponds for water. KDF has developed an original piped water scheme that will pump clean water, using solar power to free water points all over the area. As we visited the newly drilled safe water source, Ronald, the project leader pointed out the pond currently being used by the community. We could not believe that people would actually collect water from this putrid pond, filled with algae and murky water. But, as we walked away we passed a young girl with her water can on her way to fill it at that very pond. Ronald assured us that once the piped water scheme was completed she, like so many others, would have safe water available right outside her house.

To learn more about this project and how you can help, visit www.globalgiving.com/1380.

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