Daily doses of change involves a lot of listening – to the needs of refugees, host communities, even our own staff. And while we finished up sports projects in Nakivale Settlement, we tapped into the expertise of our team, who are on the ground every day listening to the needs in the communities they serve.
Our teams are experts in listening. That’s what our Kuja Kuja program is all about. Kuja Kuja is a system to improve customer satisfaction amongst refugees around the world. And one of the regular pieces of feedback received is about access to fetching water. Nakivale is home to over 100,000 people, all of whom collect water at water points throughout the settlement. These water pumps rely on generators to move water from reservoirs to water points in the community. If the equipment breaks down or becomes clogged, the water pumps stop working.
Without the pumps, people are unable to get water to drink, cook, or clean. “We need a solution to fix the generators quickly” explains Andrew Sajja, Field Operation Manager. “To keep the pumps running smoothly, we need backup equipment.” It doesn’t take much – spare pieces and filters for the machines, and lubricants and oils to keep everything running smoothly. But requesting extra parts takes time – a requisition through the proper channels, waiting for the parts, delay in installment can all cause limited water access for Nakivale residents.
With the urging of our team on the ground, we decided to do something about this simple, solvable problem. On Day 212, we put these items in the hands of the water plant operators. They are now ready to solve problems when they arise, and Andrew is eager to see how this will positively benefit the community. “This will mean a lot less downtime across the entire water system and it should make our refugee customers a lot happier. Maintaining the equipment is so important for customer service.”
