DFREE® in Uganda
About
DFREE®’s initiatives in Uganda started in 2019 when Dr. Soaries was the guest of His Highness Bishop John Chrisostom Wayabire, king of the Bugwere kingdom, and the first known African traditional ruler who is also the Bishop of a Christian church. At the 5th coronation anniversary of His Highness Wayabire, Dr. Soaries had the opportunity to meet the president of the country and hold council with members of the community, especially the Queen’s special women’s initiative that was providing skills training and livelihoods to women and girls in deprived communities. DFREE® has developed an even stronger working relationship with King Geoffrey Wayabire, who succeeded his father as king in 2023. The partnership has birthed 2 key projects:
THE COMMITMENT
Dr. Soaries pledged to raise funds for 10 borehole wells for 10 communities. Unlike ponds, the wells tap into a deep underground aquifer hundreds of feet underground, protected from surface contaminants.
THE IMPACT - A RIPPLE EFFECT
In December 2025, the first 2 wells pumped clean water in two villages, marking the transition from a livestock-shared pond to a dedicated well that represented more than just health; it represented dignity. The benefits of the well reached far beyond just quenching thirst: Health: Incidence of ailments are expected to drop dramatically within a few months.
- Education: Children, particularly girls, who were previously tasked with hauling water from the pond, will now be able to attend school consistently.
- Economic Time-Savings: What used to be a two-hour daily chore of trekking to fetch water and boil it is now a five-minute walk to a reliable pump.
- Hygiene: All household chores, including laundry, are also done with clean water, thereby reducing the instance of contamination from livestock activity.
Help support this cause to provide clean drinking water to the villages of Bugwere.
Featured projects
With the support of dedicated partners and community leaders, our initiatives drive measurable impact and create lasting change across Uganda.
Bugwere Clean Water Project
In August 2025, the DFREE® East Africa maiden tour group visited the Bugwere Kingdom of Eastern Uganda, and were warmly welcomed by His Highness King Geoffrey Wayabire, the royal household and members of the Budaka community. The group stopped to assess sources of drinking water in nearby villages that relied on open ponds that were a hub of constant activity and persistent illness: Livestock waded through the same water that families used for drinking. Women spent hours scrubbing laundry on the muddy banks. Children played in and drank from the same pool. Waterborne illnesses like cholera were commonplace.
Let's create financial empowerment
By investing in education, clean water for a village, or skills training for the youth, you make a significant contribution to empowering whole generations to be independent and to have better quality of life.