From Our Founder; Wishing you a Happy 2026

My name is Jean Baptiste Ntirenganya. I am an engineer, a water and sanitation specialist, I have fourteen years’ experience working in WASH sector in Nakivale refugee settlement as water field officer. As the founder of WATSANE Uganda Organization, I wanted to share a personalized, professional message that expresses gratitude for your past support, knowledge shared success, and look forward for future opportunities.

I want to wish you a wonderful new year filled with success and joy. Your contribution and commitment to WATSANE programs has been inspiring, and were excited to share more impact and progress with you in this New Year of 2026. Happy New Year!

Clean Sanitation, Healthy Communities: Our Aims for this year as WATSANE:

To increase access to clean and safe sanitation is not a luxury—it is a basic human right. Yet most of people across Nakivale settlement, most especially new arrivals live without proper latrine, clean and safe water, or effective waste management systems. By the end of 2026, we aim at improving lives of over 500 vulnerable people to access hygiene materials through 100 latrines, and eliminating open defecation in public. This improves public healthy through sustainable development.

Poor sanitation is closely linked to water bones diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea, which mostly affect children and vulnerable populations. When communities lack safe sanitation facilities, the risk of illness increases, school attendance drops, and productivity suffers. Women and girls are especially affected, facing safety risks and challenges in managing hygiene with dignity. Therefore, as WATSANE organization, we look forward to implement through increasing the access of hygiene knowledge through awareness campaigns in communities.

Our organization works hand in hand with communities to create sustainable sanitation solutions. This includes constructing standard latrines with low cost of the local materials, promoting handwashing practices, improving waste management, and educating households about hygiene awareness campaigns. We believe by the end of 2026 we will cover between 80% to 90% of latrine constructions in new arrivals refugee camp. We will target the new vulnerable refugees Congolese from eastern Democratic of Congo due to the current war.

Together, we can strengthen sanitation into a foundation for better livelihood, health, and sustainable development.

Jean Baptiste NTIRENGANYA

WATSANE Uganda Organization

Founder & Managing Director

Welcome to WATSANE!

Just two months ago, we started Watsane to increase water, sanitation, and hygiene for the new Congolese arrivals to Nakivale Refugee Settlement. We are thrilled to share that almost two months to the date of our founding—we have built three latrines for our Emergency Latrine Pilot Project.

From January to July of 2025, 55,856 people fled to Nakivale Refugee settlement (UNCHR Operational Data Portal). Many of the new arrivals are fleeing war from Congo.

30-year-old Hangi Shukuru is one of the 2025 arrivals. Hangi was born with abnormalities in both legs and must use arm supports for mobility. The communal latrines were not built with accessibility in mind and require a long walk from his house.

Over the span of two days in early August, our team got together to build an accessible latrine for Hangi.

Our final product will be usable for up to four years. That is four years of time back for Hangi that he is no longer spending trekking to an unusable lavatory. Each latrine also promotes proper waste management, hygiene education, and a healthy environment. It is therefore introduced to improve public healthy with emphasis on fighting diseases, and boosts overall standards of living.

Hangi with our founder Jean Baptiste Ntirenganya outside the completed latrine

There are countless Nakivale residents that deserve the dignity of a functional restroom. People with special needs face additional challenges to accessing and using facilities. Support us and follow along in our journey as we fulfil our mission of Adequate portable water and sanitation for all.