Global Water Foundation Drives Major School Project in Uganda

Two million children worldwide die needlessly every year because they lack access to clean water. Launching a long-term effort to tackle the problem, the Global Water Foundation (GWF) has begun providing clean water to 1,000 schoolchildren in eastern Uganda and will ultimately deliver aid to more than 5,000 in that area.

The GWF worked with the Ugandan government to address the grave water problems at the Ndolwa Parents School in the Kamuli District.

“Of all the schools that I have visited in Africa, this is one that needed particular attention,” said Johan Kriek, international tennis star and founder of the GWF. “It is in desperate need of help, and with the right tools it can be fixed quite easily.”

The Ndolwa Parents School is a 983-student school in Budiope, a town just 20 miles outside of the Kamuli township in southeastern Uganda. With more than 150 students per classroom, the Ndolwa School is densely overpopulated and is one of the lowest performing schools in its district. Lake Kyoga is the closest water source over three miles away, but its water is unsuitable for drinking. Many students suffer from skin conditions and diseases due to the heavy pollution and lack of sanitation.

The Global Water Foundation worked with skilled contractors and members of the community to drill a borehole and install a Mono Pumps Solar Pumping System. This self-contained system stores water in a 2,600 gallon holding tank and is solar-powered, providing maximum water output without relying on fuel that drives up costs. The funds needed to drill the borehole and install the pump were approximately $50,000 USD.

The GWF was founded by Kriek in 2005 to raise public awareness, contribute technical assistance and fund programs that improve water quality and provide adequate sanitation in schools, rural areas and other communities across developing nations. Initial efforts are focusing on training, mobilization and education in regions of Africa where the need is most critical. The Ndolwa project will serve as a launching pad for an additional GWF initiative across Africa that will teach students fundamental hygiene practices.

Fundraising and public awareness are paramount to the GWF’s efforts. Tennis legends John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Tom Gullikson, and other sports superstars including Olympic swimmers Aaron Peirsol, Janet Evans, Kate Ziegler and Tara Kirk have pledged their support to serve as “Clean Water Ambassadors” in order to deliver the message of the GWF to a worldwide audience.

Steve Luongo, legendary drummer, vocalist and record producer for the John Entwistle Band (of The Who fame), and an experienced hand at staging large-scale concert events, has already begun assembling an all-star rock ‘n’ roll lineup for the foundation’s benefit tour scheduled for 2007.

About the Global Water Foundation
The Global Water Foundation was established as a charitable trust with the exclusive purpose of raising public awareness, providing technical assistance, supporting knowledge sharing, enabling technical innovation and research, and facilitating the provision of humanitarian aid throughout the developing world. The ultimate goal is to provide safe, healthy drinking water and adequate sanitation in areas where it is not available or where accessibility and supply have been compromised. For more information, visit our Web site at www.globalwaterfoundation.org.