Richard delivers the CIEH Level 3 Award in Training Skills and Practice in Uganda.....

This CIEH Commonwealth Project secured funding to deliver this qualification to two cohorts of Ugandan Environmental Health Officers. This is to equip them to go out and promote health education in their rural communities. Whereas we may think of EHOs carrying out food hygiene inspections, in Uganda it's a little different. For example, the things the delegates will be doing include...

Protecting water sources and water chain. Many areas have no safe or piped water supply; no surprise that diarrhoea is the biggest cause of infant mortality in the world. So, protection is vital. This means preventing animals from fouling the springs, collecting water safely, storing it, etc. Before the course, a very timid Betty would have been daunted by this. With a bit of coaching, a big voice comes from a little lady!! Here she is (in the middle, washing hands) demonstrating hand washing technique; you have to get used to the resources available and get creative.
2. How to use mosquito nets correctly; malaria is probably the second biggest killer. There is still a significant programme of mozzy net distribution ongoing in the area. A bit of role play here, with a few delegates pretending to be a family, and "dad" (Martin Balyejjusa) tucking in the mozzy net....
3. Latrine use; "Eco-san" latrines (composting toilets) are a new technology, a great advance but there is a certain technique to their use. Pictured is Elizabeth Babita practising her training techniques on Kizito Jurua.........

It makes you realise that we take for granted what you have.

As you may know, we also support a charity called "Water for Kids", and I took an opportunity between the two TSP course, to re-visit Iganga (south eastern Uganda) to inspect a couple of WfK projects...

Our local contact is EHO Musamiru Bidondole. His father is the village elder on Naitandu, a village of approx 700 souls. In the bush, there's no mains water, drainage or anything...including latrines. Yes, that's right, no toilets. You go where you like. Infectious disease, anyone....? WfK buy the "sandplat", a concrete starting point for building your own latrine. This gift, along with Muz's father's leadership, has prompted many householders to dig a deep hole (up to 10m, yes, I know, "health and safety.."), place the sandplat on top, make some bricks (yes it's a DIY job) and build a shelter. An amazing leap in public health sanitation for £50 a pop.	Work in progress (sandplat in place)	The finished product.
Right; "before" Far right; a sandplat ready for installation

Finally, the provision of rainwater harvesting at Namunsaala clinic. The clinic was built with donations from a sister charity, Daventry Friends of Iganga.

The system provides a main reservoir, a hand pump to take water up to a high level tank (which then has pressure to serve latrines, etc) and a a small, second low level tank for hand washing. As the meerkat says, "simples".

The installation	Peter Minhinnet (chairman of WfK and my travelling buddy/chaperone) gives the pump a go...	A local resident	Proof that Richard was actualy there. Muzamiru hiding behind the pipe, and a couple of the resident nurses.