Watermark in Africa

We received the below update from Nelson Okello, ALARM Uganda Country Director.

The following stages have been accomplished so far:

a)      Land: Land has been bought in phases (Jan 2008-April 2010) we now have land that measures about 250 by 200 meters, the community has been very positive in selling additional land willingly to the center after hearing what the center intends to offer.

b)      Completed structure: Two large lecture halls have been completed, fitted with metallic doors and windows, glasses.

c)      An initial group of students numbering thirty have been recruited and are attending lectures at the site. Beds and mattresses have been bought but technical equipments are yet to be bought when funds will be available. Three teachers have been recruited (building, carpentry, tailoring.)

d)     Construction of guest house (48 rooms self contained.) This is in progress and is at window level. When completed it is expected to cater for teams visiting the center as well as catering for income generation for taking care of the expenses at the center in future.

e)      Land: The part of land where there are still no buildings, have been planted with maize, sweet potato which will help in supporting child headed families when harvested in future.

f)       Basically three activities are going on at the site currently, teaching of thirty students, partitioning of the six large rooms of the two lecture halls to cater for classes, dormitories, offices, construction of the guest wing at window level.

g)      Water wells; Eight boreholes were drilled in 2008, commissioned and all of them are providing clean and safe water to the communities. (2 Masindi, 2 Kitgum, 4 Pader.) In 2009 six boreholes were drilled and commissioned. (2 in Masindi, 4 in Pader) This brings the total number of boreholes funded by Watermark to 14.

Here are some pictures:

One of the two lecture halls we have built.

One of the 14 water wells we have drilled in the area.  This is one of two on the campus we are developing with ALARM.

This is the guest house we are building on the campus for Watermark and other teams to go and work with the trade school students and others in the community.  It will start as a one story building and eventually expand to a two story building.

Photo from a conference we held at the trade school last week.  It was our first conference at the school, and 150 people participated.  There was demand from 500 people to be in the class.