YOBAC W.A.S.H. Project

In 2025, the Mahaba Foundation partnered with the Arthur Hood Foundation and YOBAC Nursery and Primary School to implement a project that addressed one of the most essential needs in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement: access to safe, reliable water.

Kyangwali, located in western Uganda near the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to nearly 150,000 refugees, many of them children. YOBAC has served this community since 2016, providing nursery and primary education to more than 700 students.

Until recently, however, every child, teacher, and staff member at YOBAC relied on a single water source: a small well. Buckets had to be lowered directly into the water and carried back for use in drinking, cooking, and washing. The risks were serious. The water was untreated, and children faced the danger of accidents at the well.

This was not a temporary inconvenience. It was a daily hazard and a clear obstacle to health, safety, and education.

Addressing this urgent need required a practical and lasting solution. In partnership with the Arthur Hood Foundation, we supported the installation of a new Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (W.A.S.H.) system on the YOBAC campus.

The design was straightforward and effective. Electricity-powered pumps draw water from underground into a large, elevated storage tank. From there, gravity provides pressure for the system, reducing dependency on continuous power. Before reaching any users, the water is filtered, reducing the risks associated with untreated sources.

Water is then delivered through a network of pipes to multiple spigots installed across the school. Importantly, different taps are designated for drinking, cooking, and washing, supporting both hygiene and efficiency for students and staff.

The result is a safe, durable, and easy-to-use system built to serve the school’s daily needs and improve quality of life immediately.

In June 2025, we joined representatives from the Arthur Hood Foundation on a visit to YOBAC to see the completed system in operation. The impact was already visible.

Children gathered around the taps, filling cups, rinsing hands, cooling their heads under clean water on a hot afternoon. Teachers filled large pots for cooking. What had once been a daily danger had become a source of health, safety, and even joy.

It marked more than the completion of an installation. It was a milestone for the YOBAC community and a strong example of what is possible when the right partnerships come together to meet a clear, basic need.

Mahaba Foundation is proud to have supported this project and remains committed to practical, community-focused solutions. We thank the Arthur Hood Foundation for their partnership and YOBAC for their ongoing partnership in refugee education.

Clean water is now part of YOBAC’s everyday reality, a foundation for better health, learning, and safety.