For over 17 years, Katosi Women Development Trust’s work has been guided by the principle of “empowering the woman to do it” and “putting women first”.
Traditionally, Ugandan culture considered a women’s role to be that of child bearer and housekeeper. Today, KWDT has changed this perception through training women in the skills needed to construct rainwater harvest tanks.
Creating cultural change Lydia Kateregga and Dorothy Nakalema working together in tank construction
Lydia earns £46.00 (190,000 UGX) from each tank constructed and constructs 3-4 tanks a year. She is of course a proud owner of a domestic rainwater harvesting tank which means she and the children no longer have to walk long hours in search of water for domestic use. Lydia said “My children are safe from sexual harassment that takes place when girls go to fetch water late evening. When they come back from school we have the water from the tank at home’’.
Lydia has more time for household chores and the children have more time for their studies. Most importantly, an extra income is earned from the sale of harvested rainwater.
KWDT have enabled women to work in an area that was traditionally men only!
This new employment for women has given them financial security and enabled them to improve their lives, the lives of their family members as well as the community at large. It has built the confidence and self-esteem of women masons. They are no longer regarded as “dependants” but “earners” who have the respect in their families with their community peers proudly refering to them as “engineers”!
Through its training Katosi Women Development Trust continues to successfully change people’s perception and attitudes and in doing so improves thousands of lives.
Lydia also has the skills to construct an ecosan toilet
Katosi Women Development Trust UK 