Global Uplift Project says Uganda water program reaches 23 schools

The Global Uplift Project says its Clean Water for Africa program is delivering WHO-standard water to more than 10,000 students at 23 schools in Uganda for 53 cents per child per year. The nonprofit says the pilot shows a low-cost model for schools in four districts and could point to a cheaper path for clean water access in developing countries.

Why it matters: - The Global Uplift Project says its Uganda pilot delivers World Health Organization-standard water at 53 cents per student per year. - The nonprofit says the cost structure could make school-based clean water more affordable than centralized treatment systems. - More than 10,000 students at 23 schools now have access to purified water.

What happened: - The Global Uplift Project, a California nonprofit, announced results from its Clean Water for Africa program on July 22, 2026. - The pilot ran at 23 schools in Uganda’s Luwero, Wakiso, Mukono and Kampala districts. - The program was supported by the Nsawo Community Development Project, a Ugandan partner. - The nonprofit works on educational infrastructure in 26 developing countries.

The details: - The program uses a point-of-service model instead of centralized water treatment facilities and pipe networks. - The water purification technology comes from Netherlands-based Sensiblue. - The Sensiblue purifier uses water pressure to spin a turbine that separates sodium and chlorine in salt, producing chlorine as the disinfectant. - Water quality testing was done at the Ndejje National University Water Research and Development Center in Kampala. - Test results showed viruses reduced by 99.9% and bacteria lowered by 99.99%. - E. coli and coliform organic contaminants were eliminated, according to the announcement. - A single installation, including filters, plumbing, a security enclosure and dispensing fittings, costs $1,500, according to TGUP. - Annual maintenance, including filter changes and salt replacement, costs $84. - TGUP says the life-cycle cost works out to 53 cents per child per year. - Robert Freeman, TGUP’s founder and executive director, said clean water is the first imperative of development efforts. - Freeman also said comparable systems using ultraviolet light or thermal treatment cost more than 10 times as much. - UNICEF has said more than two billion people drink contaminated water each year and more than one million die from it.

Between the lines: - The pilot is designed to show that clean water access can be delivered at school level without the capital-heavy infrastructure that often slows rollout. - If the cost figures hold up at larger scale, the model could appeal to donors and school systems looking for measurable health gains at low operating cost. - The emphasis on WHO-standard water and independent testing adds credibility to a program built around cost efficiency.

What's next: - TGUP is likely to use the Uganda pilot as proof of concept for additional school water projects. - The nonprofit said it has already completed more than 700 educational infrastructure projects across 26 developing-world nations. - Those projects are expected to help more than 5.1 million of the world’s poorest people over their duration.

The bottom line: - TGUP is trying to turn clean water for schools into a repeatable, low-cost infrastructure model, and the Uganda pilot is its clearest test so far.