RedR UK 348d ago

“Before, there was nothing, and now there is something. It’s the result of so many partners, and most importantly the support of the community members”. 🎉 The rural access road to the Iyer village communities in Agago District, Northern Uganda, is often submerged. During the rainy season, residents are forced to travel an extra ten kilometres for basic services. No vehicles reach them. With RedR UK microgrant funding, and the support of Elzbieta Szostak, a WSP coach, humanitarian engineer Oryem John Speke and partners at Organisation for African Social Development planned a project to install culverts and drainage systems under the road, to transform the lives of people in the three Iyer village communities. “Through the coach made available to me”, says John, “I learnt what goals, outcomes, outputs and activities, and I have learnt on how to generate the indicators for projects. I learnt technical aspects of culvert design and installation. Design guides, codes, criteria and manuals were all sent to me by Elzbieta.” At the heart of the project's success lies community mobilisation. “There has been an increase in the community’s awareness of their role in community development”, says John. The people of Iyer provided their own resources, including finance, tools, and labour. Even with the new clear road, the Iyer communities still face many challenges, including the most pressing – no access to safe water during dry seasons. OASD has introduced a social development plan to community members. They will continue to work together in the coming months, opening an office at Iyer Tekulo for more life-changing projects. Read about more microgrant transformations in Uganda here: https://www.redr.org.uk/Blog/July-2023/Engineering-for-Humanity