Karamoja– About 40 kilometres from Abim town, the day began before sunrise for the children of Barotukei Primary School. For the majority of the 1,031 pupils, the first lesson of the day wasn’t on the blackboard—it was a gruelling, two-kilometre trek to fetch water, a duty that disproportionately fell on the shoulders of young girls.
That old reality is now being washed away. Today, the laughter of children in the school compound has replaced those long, silent walks—thanks to a new solar-powered water system. Funded by proceeds from the Absa KH3-7 Hills Run and implemented in partnership with World Vision, the project now serves over 4,000 people in the Barotukei community.
This initiative marks the second phase of the run’s outreach, following a similar project in the neighbouring Awach community in 2024. The new system features a borehole sunk 101 meters deep, powered by solar panels generating 12 kW of electricity. A 10,000-litre tank distributes clean water instantly through 12 strategically placed Public Stand Posts, each with three taps—four within the school grounds and eight across the wider community.
Where scattered boreholes once required up to two hours of pumping before producing a single drop, water access is now immediate. For Auma Margaret, an elder who has lived in the community her entire life, the transformation is deeply personal.
“I always had to rely on streams that required serious boiling before use,” she says. “I appreciate the opportunity to access water that is clear, clean, and nearby.”
The most profound change, however, is in education. Headteacher Ojuma Joel Ploba notes that while enrolment in lower primary is high, girls historically dropped out as they got older—often due to the burden of fetching water and the lack of facilities for menstrual hygiene.
“This water is a big contribution towards the future I envision, where the school can retain and graduate more students,” he stated.
That vision is now supported by a new WASH facility, part of the Keep a Girl Child in School initiative. For students like Primary Six pupil Apio Martha, it means no longer missing critical school days.
“I’m grateful for my Senior Woman Teacher,” Apio shares. “She taught us about menstrual hygiene practices and how to make reusable pads to replace the rags I used after I first got my period.”
With the WASH facility now on-site, girls no longer miss school due to lack of water.
The system’s sustainability is ensured through community ownership. Three members from each committee will be trained in operational management, with the district water board involved to safeguard the water source from damage by warriors who descend from the neighbouring hills and roam around Barotukei at night.
As Hon. Janet Grace Akech Okori-Moe, Woman MP for Abim, affirmed at the commissioning:
“The people of Barotukei take this project as our own. We thank everyone involved for this transformative gift.”
