Love: The Backbone of Change
- Kailee Carney
- Mar 14
- 3 min read
Throughout life, you will face an inconceivable number of crossroads. Crossroads that are tiny and insignificant, like determining if you want to brush your teeth before you get dressed. Others that are monumental, such as deciding what college to attend, or whether to attend college at all. Crossroads are often scary. You look down each path and can’t see far enough ahead to thoroughly understand the complete outcome, untainted by personal bias. You can only choose what feels most right for you in the moment, hands outstretched blindly before you, hope and love in your heart.
“Children are the future and if we are to cause change, we have to start with the children. WASH is about us as human beings.”
That is exactly what Lydia Namutebi did when she joined The Ayin Project (TAP) in April 2023, where she would become a TAP Field/Lab Technician which complemented her laboratory technician background. Previously, Lydia worked in the medical field, so this shift in her career was a big one: “At first I questioned my decision because it was going to take a completely new turn on my usual life. It was going to change my career - and it did. And I don’t regret it.” She expressed that the work TAP was doing was different from what she was familiar with.
Before being introduced to TAP by a friend, Lydia's knowledge of WASH was limited. She didn’t have much information about its mission or goals: “The only aspect I really knew about was water, and water is very very important,” which she knew from previously working in a hospital setting. However, something she found surprising was how little people - especially the youth - knew concerning the importance of WASH. In Uganda, the connection between water, sanitation and hygiene is not widely talked about. Only around 18% of people in Uganda have access to safely managed water, and even that supply can run dry, making WASH conversations challenging. See a glimpse here. 🔗
Lydia expressed that increasing widespread knowledge of WASH is one of TAP Uganda team’s most important goals. The team is working to figure out what people already know, and how they may educate people further. Community collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge, makes individuals “part of the solution to their own problem.” This can make solutions more sustainable and beneficial. For example, hand wash stations were implemented at several Ugandan schools, but there was an issue with lack of soap for effective sanitation. In response, TAP taught students and teachers to make liquid soap in a cost-friendly way. As a result, a teacher from one school was able to start a business creating and selling soap to her community! A soap-making business was launched, and students went so far as to make soap for themselves at home. There has been a positive butterfly effect, creating unity and love in this community.
Love – the inspirer and foundation of change. Lydia conveyed that one of the most rewarding aspects of TAP’s work is seeing the love exuding from the communities they visit. Her personal goal is to change people’s lives, especially the children. “Children are the future and if we are to cause change, we have to start with the children. WASH is about us as human beings.” The team goes to communities and they show kindness, and the team is shown love and gratitude in return. This team is changing lives with the progress they have already made and are currently making. But above it all, – above what has yet to be done and what has been done so far – is love. Love from Lydia and the team for the work they do, and love from the people they are impacting: “It’s so fulfilling to see change in people’s lives.”
The only place to go from here is up.
“We want to teach the public. We want to go on a public level and teach people, on a larger scale, why WASH is important and why they should be engaged in programs like this one.”
If you believe that too, come help us take it further. Share this, start the conversation in your circles, and support the work that turns education into lasting change. The more people understand WASH, the more communities can rise with it.
Watch the full interview:
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