Water project in Tongolo, Uganda
More than two billion people worldwide do not have sustainable access to clean drinking water. Global crises such as climate change, as well as regional conflicts, further exacerbate the problem, making it one of the deadliest dangers of our time for many people. At Hopeland, we want to contribute to solving this problem. That is why we have launched a project to ensure safe access to clean drinking water for 2,000 people in Uganda. The project is financed exclusively by donations and carried out by volunteers from Switzerland.
HOW CAN I HELP?
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Your donation or collaboration will enable 2,000 people to have access to clean drinking water.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The plan is to build a water supply system for 2,000 people in the village of Tongolo in Uganda.
Two new groundwater pumps will be used to pump drinking water from a depth of around 100 metres to the surface and up to a water tower. A free-standing solar system with an output of approximately 12 kWp supplies the electrical energy required to operate the pumps.
The capacity of this plant is 48,000 litres per day, with the average person using approximately 5-10 litres of water per day this will be more than sufficient for the people of Tongolo. We will ensure that high quality durable materials are used in this project to ensure the longevity of this system.
A nominal fee will be charged per litre of water, this income will be used to co-finance the monitoring and minor repairs of the system.
USE OF RESOURCES
How the donations are used
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Purchase of material, hand machines and tools in Switzerland and Uganda
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Transport costs, containers etc.
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Renting construction machinery in Uganda
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Purchase of land for water tower
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Drilling by external construction company in Uganda
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Salary for local workers
(approximately 10.- Fr./day per worker)
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Simple food and accommodation for the volunteers during the project
What does each volunteer contribute?
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Holidays / free time
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International travel, plane ticket, domestic travel
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Vaccinations, update travel documents
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Documenting the mission / possibly giving presentations / helping to find staff (experts / help staff from Europe)
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All help to find donors (companies and private individuals)
PROJECT AND TEAM LEADER
The project was designed by Markus Wüthrich. As an experienced civil engineer with basic craft training (bricklayer and carpenter), he will carry out the construction planning, recruit the staff, organise the material including transport and lead the team on site. This will ensure that decision-making channels are short and that the donations are used in a targeted and efficient manner.
for about 150 people
Patients and staff of a hospital
60 m³
Capacity of drinking water reservoir
2 months
Construction time
PROJECTS ALREADY REALISED
A similar project was realised in Madagascar in 2017 by a Swiss team led by Markus Wüthrich.
for about 150 people
patients and staff one hospital
60 m³
drinking water reservoir
Contents
2 months
construction time
for about 150 people
patients and staff one hospital
2 months
construction time
60 m³
drinking water reservoir
Contents
CONTACT FORM & CONTACT PERSONS
Christine and Markus Wüthrich
Nurse, STS AG, Thun
Civil engineer, Kissling + Zbinden AG, Thun
Auweg 50
3627 Heimberg
079 913 85 00
Susanne and Martin Frey
Member of grand municipal councillor Spiez,
house wife
Head of project management, Wenger Fenster AG, Wimmis
Breitenweg 70
3700 Spiez
079 279 46 64
BANK DETAILS
Spar- und Leihkasse Frutigen AG
Dorfstrasse 15
3714 Frutigen
IBAN no. CH89 0878 4045 5168 6717 3
Hopeland Ministry, 3700 Spiez
MAP
Current status of the water project in Tongolo – December 3, 2025
The water project in Tongolo is making great progress. At the beginning of November, the first group of seven volunteers from Switzerland traveled to Uganda to start construction together with seven local workers. At that time, there was no infrastructure whatsoever: sleeping was uncomfortable and personal hygiene was difficult. From the outset, the project was characterized by intensive physical labor: Long, narrow ditches, in which water and electricity lines will later be laid, were dug by hand with shovels and pickaxes. The concrete for the foundations was mixed with two hand mixers. Work is carried out six days a week, starting at 7:00 a.m.
In the meantime, more volunteers from Switzerland have arrived and some went back home. Our volunteer team now consists of eleven people. The accommodation is simple but well organized – with a dormitory, a camping shower, and an improvised kitchen.
A lot has happened on the construction site in a short period of time:
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The water tower is completely finished.
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Almost all the ditches – a total of just under 1 km - have been dug. An average of four to five people worked on this for twelve days.
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The solar power system is under construction.
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The laying of the water pipes and the installation of the electrical control system are now beginning.
We are delighted with the rapid progress made and the excellent teamwork across the entire team. The warm feedback from the residents of Tongolo is particularly motivating. A few days ago, for example, a woman from the village came to the construction site, interrupted our team leader as he was working, and thanked him repeatedly for this valuable project, which will improve the quality of life for all residents of Tongolo in the long term. All of this is only possible thanks to your donations. Without them, we would not be able to improve the lives of the people in the village.
Current status of the water project in Tongolo – 31 December 2025
The water project in Tongolo continues to progress very well. Our project manager and two other volunteers from Switzerland have now been working on site for two months. Some volunteers have returned to their home, while new ones have joined the team. Our team currently consists of six volunteers and five local workers.
In recent weeks, further important milestones have been reached on the construction site:
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The solar power system has been completely finished.
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The concrete work is almost complete. Since the start of the project, a total of over 48 cubic metres of concrete was used, all of which was processed by hand.
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Work on the fences is now beginning.
Just in time for Christmas, a very special success was achieved: for the first time, water flowed from the taps. There is probably no better Christmas present than seeing the smiles on people's faces when they fetch water. Since then, around 12,000 litres of water have been used every day and around 500 people are currently benefiting from the new water supply. The number of beneficiaries – and thus also water consumption – is increasing day by day.
The volunteers' accommodation also benefited from the progress of the project. A garden shower with pleasant water pressure now provides more comfort, and thanks to the solar system, electricity is available in the kitchen at all times.
Despite the great progress made, there is still some work to be done. The two most important next steps are the construction of wooden roofs for the two pump houses and the completion of the fences. We are looking forward to the coming weeks with motivation and confidence.
Information for donors:
The Hopeland Ministry association is tax exempt. Donations can be deducted from your tax return.
© 2023 «Water project in Tongolo, Uganda»
VOLUNTEERS
For this project we are looking for committed, reliable and well-trained volunteers who think in a solution-oriented way and want to make a difference with their efforts. The work assignment is expected to take place from 1 November 2025 to 31 January 2026. It is possible to work on site for a shorter period of time.
We are looking for the following volunteers:
Sanitary fitter EFZ
1 person
(possibly with further training as a master craftsman and/or engineer). Position already filled
Electrician EFZ
1 person
(possibly with further training as a master craftsman and/or engineer). Position already filled
Bricklayer EFZ
1 person
(possibly with further training as a master craftsman and/or engineer). Position already filled
Auxiliary workers
2 persons
(can be used anywhere - for construction or other works). Positions already filled
Local workers
4 persons
Cook
1 person
Position already filled
Medical care
1 person
(FAGE/Nurse/Doctor). Position already filled
Team leader
1 person.
Position already filled