One in three people around the world do not have access to clean water. This makes it difficult for a third of the population to lead a long and healthy life. In Uganda, the water and sanitation crisis is marked by 22 million people who do not have access to clean water. Out of a population of around 43 million, this represents over half of Ugandans. Considered as the basis for development and empowerment of communities, safe water is a first step towards prosperity. Nevertheless, education and employment aid are also crucial in helping countries rise out of poverty. Thus, many projects, like those undertaken by the Fontes Foundation, usually focus on the aforementioned areas to promote development.

Fontes Foundation’s Safe Water projects in Uganda rest on the belief that clean water is a fundamental human right to improve the lives of many in the long term. Locally, five surface treatment plants have been installed to provide clean water to villages inside the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The main focus when implementing these facilities was coordination with local communities, where Fontes ensured that training and technical assistance is provided over time .

Nowadays, Fontes Foundation engages in local empowerment through youth engagement projects. Both the foundation’s Youth Centre (pictured above) and its leading Refactory tech programme are the main projects governed by Fontes to try and remedy growing unemployment amongst youth. Education is specialized and geared towards industry specific needs in the catering and IT industries respectively. In a similar direction, the Fontes Foundation promotes education through scholarships and giving their support to schools.

The head office in Kampala is composed of four full time employees who have dedicated their work to helping their own. Additionally, an intern present in Uganda helps the employees on a rolling basis. This Norwegian NGO dedicated to improving the lives of many might just be the place for you to discover a burgeoning interest in purpose-driven projects!