Kabale district in Southwestern Uganda is a highland area with a high population density and heavy land fragmentation for instance an average household has six to seven plots of land on several hills.

The topography of most areas in Kabale district is hilly with steep slopes posing a challenge to Water service delivery especially construction of gravity flow water schemes. Many community residents suffer from water shortage due to lack of access to underground water. In most rural areas, poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is a major factor in exposing women and children to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).

Fetching water is usually done by women and children; and in most cases, women have to leave home before sunrise or late in the evenings walking long distances of about 2-5 kilometers which exposes them to many risks on the way such as rape and other forms of Physical and Sexual Violence and life threatening attacks during their search for the much needed water, in order to feed their families. Water shortage problem has also reduced children study times and hygiene levels especially girls who do not attend school regularly, because they also have to participate in this task, cannot get bathed or have a decent breakfast before leaving for school.

GWEFODE has embarked on households, community and school rain water harvesting as the only option available in Hilly areas where gravity flow water cannot reach to enable beneficiaries especially women and children access clean water and improve on their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices through implementation of low cost technologies. GWEFODE has built rain water harvesting tanks of different capacities ranging from 1.5-20 Cubic Meters in Households, Communities and Schools. The project has empowered women and girls to become efficient water managers in their communities. Further to improving access to safe water and sanitation in the project area, the project has educated beneficiary communities on the management aspects of stored rainwater so as to access safe water through the year for better health including training local women groups in tank construction.