Laban pasa sus días supervisando el punto de agua local mientras los miembros de la comunidad van a buscar agua. Es el vendedor de agua y el encargado de la bomba manual local.
At water points dotted throughout the rolling hills of Kamwenge District in Uganda, Water For People’s Agua como Negocio model employs water sellers like Laban. They are responsible for maintenance of water points, and they enforce the "pay as you fetch" policy, which means community members pay for the water they collect – a key part of ensuring hand pumps keep working for years to come.
Laban se convirtió en vendedor de agua en 2014, después de que Water For People y el gobierno local apoyaran la rehabilitación de docenas de pozos en Kamwenge.
Every bright yellow jerry can filled with water means a payment of three cents to Laban, and is recorded carefully in his ledger. This fee covers Laban’s salary, payment for the water entrepreneur who manages the water system, and maintenance and eventual replacement of the hand pump.
But Laban does more than collect money and maintain the water point – he also makes sure jerry cans are clean, preventing any illnesses from contaminated containers.
"Tienen que limpiar sus bidones cada vez que vienen a buscar agua", dice Laban. "Si alguien viene con un bidón sucio, le digo que lo lave antes de ir a buscar agua".
Laban también mantiene un huerto junto a la bomba manual, donde cultiva verduras aprovechando el agua de escorrentía. Es el guardián local del agua y se asegura de que no se desperdicie nada.
Selling water has become Laban’s main source of income, allowing him to buy a plot of land for his family and pay school fees for his three sons, ages 12, 8, and 3. He is also able to invest some of his earnings in a village savings group so his income can multiply.
Para Laban, su esposa y sus hijos, el programa Agua como Negocio le ha proporcionado estabilidad. Él se enorgullece de cuidar de su familia, pero también del bienestar de toda su comunidad, ya que mantiene y protege su punto de agua.
To create jobs and empower entrepreneurs like Laban – Just Add Water.