NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, June 22, 2018

By Andrew Kaggwa

One by one, the pupils of Bright Little Angel Primary School approach the blue and white water dispenser, colorful plastic cups in hand. The dispenser, a “Purifaaya”, is one of four that stand at different corners of the school, in Nakawuka, in the Wakiso District of Uganda.

“We emphasize the importance of drinking water because we want the pupils to get used to it,” says Basajja Kirinya, the school principal.

According to WHO, more than 800 million people around the world lack access to clean water. In Uganda, water-borne diseases remain a leading cause of infant mortality for children under age five. The World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program notes that diarrheal diseases from poor sanitation and time spent fetching water cost the country more than $170 million every year.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.