Meeting the Ministry of Water & Environment
Jim Forbis, Mike Owens, and Kelly Snodgras met with Dr. Alfred Okidi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water & Environment in Kampala — a critical step in building government-level support for OMW's low-cost drilling methodology across the country.
Jim Forbis, Mike Owens, and Kelly Snodgras with Dr. Alfred Okidi — Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water & Environment, Kampala.
Isingiro Training: Classroom to Field
The Isingiro training began with classroom instruction and moved into hands-on drill building at the welding shop. Trainees learned to cut screen, assemble drill components, and execute a full borehole — from start to first water.
Among the trainees: Ernest Hausmann, University of Michigan linebacker, who paused during field training to pose with two Congolese refugee children attending with their mother.
The finished Isingiro training well and victory garden — March 2025. 5 teams from 4 countries trained.
Six months later, the Isingiro training well was revisited and thriving — the victory garden growing strong alongside it.
Zirobwe: Skills, Camaraderie, and a School Gets Water
The team drilled Zirobwe Well 1 — cutting screen and keeping skills sharp while building bonds between OMW crew and local drillers. St. Augustine School in Zirobwe celebrated their first well with handpump, drilled by the OMW Kampala team.
By August 2025, a second well was drilled at St. Augustine's — designed to connect to solar and pump water to a storage tank. The group also met with Father Vincent in Zirobwe to plan continued support.
Partner Organizations Join the Mission
Groups from the US, Kenya, and Uganda gathered to observe drilling and plan future training. Mary Conley Eggert with Global Water Works, Engineers Without Borders, and CRF (Christian Relief Fund) joined the OMW Kampala Drilling Team.
This group, standing with the OMW Kampala Drilling Team, hopes to be trained in March 2026 to help provide water access to the communities shown — and more.
Amuru: The Women's Team Redefines the Search for Water
In the extremely rural community of Amuru in Northwest Uganda, the women's team — trained in 2024 and reformed in 2025 — drilled through rock and completed a well in September 2025.
This team is redefining what it means to search for water — replacing the image of women carrying water on their heads with women operating drilling equipment and bringing access to water to their own communities.
Mystery Gorilla Team & the Nakivale Refugees
The Mystery Gorilla Drilling Team — trained at Isingiro in March 2025 — includes members from Isingiro, Mbarara, and Nakivale. They've continued to drill independently and are waiting to hear back on 14 new wells they bid on in their communities.
Before the Mystery Gorilla team drilled, refugees who couldn't afford the 1,000 Ugandan Shilling cost for water had no access at all. The previous source — a swamp used for drinking and washing — dried out due to land conversion. The OMW well has been repaired multiple times, including three times due to sabotage, and was back in working order as of September 2025.
One family in Nakivale stands out: a single Congolese mother of four attended the March 2025 Isingiro training while still nursing her youngest daughter. She is now trained — providing access to water for her community and a better life for her family.
Empowering the Next Generation at Kikyusa
The team drilled at a small Catholic school in Kikyusa whose water supply was about to be cut off by the private school next door fencing their yard. Sister Biirah, one of the nuns who heads the school, was so excited she physically helped bring water to the children herself.
The children at Kikyusa school celebrated having access to water on campus. Kids drilled alongside adults. The next generation is learning what it means to solve a problem with their own hands.
DRC Team Completes Their First Well
The DRC team — trained at Isingiro in March 2025 — finished drilling their first well in November 2025.
Transform The Needy Child Orphanage
A borehole was drilled to serve the TTNC orphanage in Kiige, Uganda — founded by John Mwase, whose Facebook posts sparked the entire Community Collective program. The well will be connected to solar and pumped to a tank stand. By mid-November 2025, construction was well underway.
Meeting with MP Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga
Peter and Kelly met with Member of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga of Kamuli District — the first woman elected Speaker in the history of the Parliament of Uganda (2011–2021). She was excited to hear of OMW's water work and the TTNC project, located in her district, and expressed her anticipation to see the team when OMW returns in March 2026.