Water is life

Bududa Learning Center, in Uganda, Africa, was founded in 2008 and currently has close to 300 students and faculty on its campus daily.  This center has a weekly Vocational School and a Saturday School for orphaned and vulnerable children in the community. Bududa is a tiny village in eastern Uganda with minimal electricity and no plumbing. Students at the center and people in the community must walk very far to fetch water, which is often polluted. Walking to collect water is very time-consuming, keeps students away from school, and can even put them at risk, especially females. 

Something remarkable happened this past spring at Bududa Learning Center. Thanks to the Presbyterian Women Group at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C., clean, running water was brought to BLC! Cisterns, pipes, pumps, and taps were all recently installed in the spring of 2024. What a fantastic gift and an incredible improvement to life at this school.

In a recent interview, Nindinja Paul, a staff member at BLC, said, “Words cannot describe how grateful we all are and how much better life is at the school now that we have accessible water.” Paul continued to explain the numerous benefits to the students and the staff.

Several obvious benefits to having water on campus are time saved, reduced classroom absenteeism, improved sanitation, and water for cleaning, cooking, and drinking. Safety is another benefit, particularly for females and younger students, who often become vulnerable when required to go out for water. 

Additionally, some of the disciplines at Bududa Vocational School need daily water for their courses of study- such as bricklaying and hairdressing. The Children of Bududa Saturday School also frequently uses water for activities like painting and making clay.

Moreover, Staffer Paul shared how this gift of water has helped the nearby community. One of the taps with a pump was installed on part of the campus adjacent to the public road. The pump remains unlocked until 8:00 p.m., and locals are welcome to come get water.

The Presbyterian Women have given Bududa Learning Center such a blessing! Many parts of the world take clean, running water for granted, but not the people of Bududa. Staffer Paul concluded the interview by saying, " We are just so happy—water is life!”

Here is a slideshow of more photos!