Seeing the impact that Made Blue are making in Uganda 

In October our Marketing Manager Sally Laurie went to Uganda with the Made Blue Foundation charity. Made Blue helps to raise funds to provide access to clean drinking water for those in need. Borg & Overström are an ambassador of this charity and our distributors have the opportunity to join Made Blue with us and donate to this charity. 

Sally, joined Made Blue and a group of entrepreneurs who also donate to the charity, so that they could find out how some of the donations have been put to great use, to help local communities in Uganda have access to clean water. 

Sally visited Karugaya Primary School in the Fort Portal area of Uganda and was able to see firsthand the impact that the Made Blue donations have. Before Made Blue, the children, along with the rest of the local community used a dirty stream to drink from, a stream which animals may have defecated in, and which had the ability to cause great illness to those who drank it. The school now has its own water tank and filter system, thanks to Made Blue donations and support from the Wash and Learn project and other charities like Samavia, JESE and WASEU, so they now have clean water to wash with. To be able to drink the water still requires water purifying tablets, as even when filtered, it’s not like the water we are fortunate enough to get from our own taps. 

A great benefit to having the school water tank is that the children no longer have to spend hours out of their day walking great distances to collect water, carrying heavy containers back to their homes and missing out on their education. They can now attend full days at school where water is literally on tap for them. 

Part of the programme isn’t just about providing a monetary donation, it’s about taking it a step further and educating the children and communities about the importance of drinking clean water, improving hygiene levels and spreading that message. The school and communities are also encouraged to be sustainable and be able to manage and maintain the water facilities. At the particular school Sally visited, Head Teach, Josephine, was proud to show the fruits and vegetables being grown in the school grounds. These are not only used to feed the children and the teachers but they are also sold to raise funds to help maintain school facilities and enable the school to become self-sufficient. 

Clean water for everyone 

The clean water is used by the school and by the surrounding community too – it’s accessible to everyone before and after school and on weekends. As the school has great water and toilet facilities, it’s used in the local community as the venue for weddings and parties.

Water Entrepreneurship  

Sally also had the opportunity to speak with entrepreneurs which are part of WASEU (Water and Sanitation Entrepreneurs Association Uganda), supported by Made Blue funds. One of the entrepreneurs spoke of the initiative to get taps into households. They seek out the water source, attach it to a pump and piping system and by the addition of solar panels on the roof of the accommodation and the installation of a tap, the household is able to have running water. Having running water in the home is something so simple that we may take for granted. This is available only to the minority who can afford it but it’s a step in the right direction. 

Summary of the trip from Sally 

Sally concluded of her trip; ‘This has been a life changing trip which I didn’t expect to have such an impact on me.

Water is a basic life necessity, yet not everyone has access to clean water to drink and wash with, it’s heart-breaking. However, it was fantastic to see just how the contributions to the Made Blue Foundation are being put to use and supporting communities by providing clean water sources.

Borg & Overström believes everyone has the right to clean drinking water and it is great to see how we can continue to support this through the work of Made Blue. I would urge all our distributors to join this hugely worthy cause.’ 

How can distributors get involved?

As a distributor, you can sign up to Made Blue with us and match our £2.75/€3.30 donation, bringing it to a total of £5.50/€6.65 per water dispenser ordered. It’s the equivalent 19,000 litres of clean drinking water per water dispenser (based on the first five years usage) matching each glass of water poured from the dispenser with a glass of clean water for someone in need. 

How can your customers benefit?  

By drinking from a Borg & Overström drinking water dispenser, your customers never need drink alone. They can be assured that they are contributing to someone in need having access to fresh and clean water. It’s also an opportunity for your customer to meet their own Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).