March 2011
As part of her role as ICE chair of Wales, Halcrow’s Sally Sudworth recently visited several aid projects in Uganda, armed with Halcrow donations.
The working visit to Uganda was part of an ‘Engineers for Overseas Development’ (EFOD) initiative. EFOD started as an ICE charity organisation and due to its success is now a charity in its own right with several practicing groups of engineers around the UK. It allows young engineers to become involved in the design and construction of international aid projects.
The first project visited was the Soroti Medical Centre which opened in January. The centre provides health and dental care, and plans to expand to provide training resources for locals.
Representatives from the charities, the SaltPeter Trust and the EFOD recognised the desperate need to provide essential healthcare to the local community and decided to do something.
Sally as part of a team of fifteen individuals, worked to make the finishing touches to complete the centre. Halcrow donated ten laptops to the centre which are providing vital modern resources needed to run the administration. There is also the potential for one or two to be used at the local CASSO orphanage, another EFOD project with facilities for 80 children aged between eight and 18. This project was finished in August 2010 and already has 37 lively children who are benefiting from their new safe environment, are well clothed, fed and are enjoying an education.
The third project involved the Widows Co-operative in Koutulai, Uganda. The charities SaltPeter Trust and EFOD, recognised a need for these women and provided a grinding mill which the women use to cater to their own needs and grind extra for a small profit.
In addition a borehole has been sunk and the whole village enjoys the benefit of this local free water supply, essential to healthy living.
Sally said: “In this type of community I was told that widows and orphans are seen very much as a burden on any village since they require support and have little means to make a contribution.
Nothing prepared me for the welcome we received when we visited Koutulai. We were swamped by grinning women ululating their greetings to us on the opening day for the mill centre.
When visiting I was shown the new latrine block that uses Ecosan lavatories which separates the solids for the waste, using solar cells to dry the material creating a safe compost. This can then be used for the crops such as cassava and maize which is subsequently ground in the mill. How’s that for sustainable living?”
Sally was sent to the village armed with gifts and scarves donated by Halcrow employees. She added:
“Many of their gifts have been practical and of course very necessary but they so appreciated the scarves donated. Amongst much singing and dancing they accepted the gifts and asked me to say a very big thank you in return”.