Access to Rural Non-Farm Livelihoods - Natural Resources Institute

Box 6. The Kooki Women’s Water & Sanitation Group 74
The group constructs ezimba cement water storage tanks and fuel saving stoves. It is based in
Byakabanda, but its members come from Kamukalo Parish and even Kisaasa Parish in Kakuuto
County, and it serves a wide area. It was formed in 1997 with support from an influential
Byakabanda resident, District Councillor Captain David Matovu, who introduced some of the
members to one another and gave them advice on starting up the business, opening a bank
account, marketing, and ways of managing the group’s finances. The members each contribute
2,000 shillings per month, as well as an initial joining fee of 2,000 shillings. They raised the
money for the initial membership fees primarily from selling cooked food (buns and pancakes)
as well as from selling crops. They wanted to form a group to enable them to access credit and
NGO support – once it was formed, ICR, through the Department of Water Affairs trained the
members in how to make the tanks, and then donated the materials for the first two tanks. Six of
the members have had tanks constructed at their homes, and the group has also constructed ten
tanks for other people who paid for the materials and as well as a labour charge, which depends
on the distance from Byakabanda. The materials needed to construct a water tank include
cement (8 bags), sand, chicken wire and other wider mesh, binding wire, and piping and a tap.
They also need water to mix the cement. They usually work together according to demand. Over
time they have modified their procedures – at first the tanks they built were little larger than the
traditional clay water storage pots, but now they build tanks with a capacity of up to 4,000 litres.
The NGO Vi was impressed with the group and its work, and offered to train them in making
fuel saving stoves for sale as well. It takes only three people to make a fuel saving stove – the
members who do the work collect 90% of the fee and divide it amongst themselves, with 10%
reinvested in the group so that they can buy better equipment. They have also modified the way
they make the stoves – the initial Vi design used bricks, but they have now found a clay which
also produces durable stoves, although some customers still prefer the brick design. The main
problem they have is the high cost of transport – to hire a pickup to deliver the materials to
construct a water tank costs about 30,000 shillings, which limits their market, particularly in
areas with poor roads where transport is even more expensive. They also need funds for more
equipment, such as better wire cutters and a wheelbarrow. Although initially sceptical, the rest
of the community is now very supportive of the group and its work, as water is such an
important issue, and imp acts on many other aspects of development. The group is cohesive and
the members support one another and their families, for example, when a member died recently
they made a collection for her family to help them through the difficult period.
The tank business is limited in that there is only a small number of households which are able
to afford the relatively high costs, despite the enormous benefits. However, as word spreads,
a new tank may become an item to be aspired to, with the business flourishing in agricultural
boom years when farming households have more money to spend.
Most of the clothing people wear is second hand, but there is a market for repairs and school
uniforms, as well as formal/traditional clothes for special occasions.
Tailoring (Box 7.) is clearly relatively lucrative, as there is always demand from within the
village. The orphans seemed appreciative of the training, although it was not clear how they
would be able to accumulate enough money to buy their own machines and start their own
businesses.
74 For a list of members see Appendix 7.
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