Fitting within the plan

One of our main concerns while working out here is to coordinate with local authorities. Some NGOs, derisively called briefcase NGOs, go out to the field and bypass district governments. They implement programs only with the villages. We feel that working within the regional government plan, as they seek to increase the percentage of citizens who have access to clean water, is important. It increases liklihood of success. After all, the project is owned by the village and should be supported by the local government.

Coordinating with the government also helps us ensure we do not construct projects in areas where the government or other NGOs are planning to build. The Ugandan government's goal is to ensure that each citizen is no more than one kilometer away from a fresh water source and has to share that point with no more than 300 others. And we are still a long way away from attaining it.

We still conduct our own research: identifing needs and picking villages and regions that are in need and can support our projects. But a collaborative effort provides the greatest chance for sustainable projects.