By Charles Katabalwa/Umoja Standard.
Yumbe, West Nile: KCB Bank Uganda Commissions UGX 30 million Water Harvesting Project at Gobero Primary School in Yumbe District, the initiative is aimed at improving access to clean water for 1,500 school going children and the surrounding refugee community.
While commissioning the project on behalf of the Bank, Michael Ssekyondwa, The Head of Retail Banking at KCB Bank Uganda said, ‘We are pleased to extend support to Gobero Primary School and the surrounding communities to enable them access clean water’.
“The support is in line with our CSR agenda under the education pillar aimed at improving the welfare of children towards sustained education “He added,
“We have extended support worth UGX 30 million which has enabled the purchase of two 5000 litre stainless steel tanks in an effort to avail water for 1,500 school-going children and the surrounding refugee community.” he revealed
The United Nations 6th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) advocates for the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by increasing water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure steady withdrawals and supply of fresh water to address water scarcity, among other water sustainability targets projected t0 be attained by 2030.
Ssekyondwa added that the UN 6th SDG goal is a call to action for us as KCB Bank Uganda and other organizations to work jointly towards addressing water scarcity by being part of the social cause that champions socio-economic growth within the communities we operate, as witnessed today at Gobero Primary School.
Previously, in 2021, the Bank supported the district with COVID-19 personal protective equipment worth Ugx. 31,750,000 million under its Health pillar which is part of the five pillars where the bank identifies and supports communities. Other pillars include; Education, Environment, Humanitarian, and Twekozese.
According to Tumwesigye John Bosco, the RDC Yumbe District, the national access capacity to water is at 70%, however Yumbe District stands at 50% indicating that out of one million people, only 500,000 people can access clean and safe water, yet the district is one of the highly populated areas in the country given the refugee situation.
He said, ‘Based on this background, I want to extend great appreciation to partners like KCB Bank Uganda who not only facilitate our access to financial services through the bank’s range of products, but also identify opportunities where they can extend support to the district through their positive social responsibility agenda like the commissioning of the water harvesting project we are witnessing today’
“Therefore, I want to encourage the community to grow food, work hard, save and as well preserve the environment,” Tumwesigye concluded