Honourable Maria Mutagamba, Minister of State for Water, Uganda, travelled from Kampala to Ananthapur district in Andhra Pradesh to know first hand and learn from the Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply project.

Hon Maria Mutagamba, at Prasanthi Nilayam

Hon. Mutagamba, who is also the Chairperson of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), was on a study visit to India from 12 to 15 February 2005, sponsored by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). UN-HABITAT and the Asian Development Bank jointly conducted an independent evaluation of Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply project last year. The evaluation report commended this unique project of its kind which is supplying safe water to more than a million poor in 731 villages in the second most arid district in the country.

During her visit to Ananthapur, the Ugandan Minister stopped over in Prasanthi Nilayam to pay her respects to Sri Sathya Sai Baba and to express the gratitude of the people of Uganda for the contribution of 80 Bore Wells by Sri Sathya Sai Organization during the 80th year of the advent of Bhagavan Baba. These Bore Wells will provide safe drinking water supply to thousands of poor in the eastern arid regions of the country. Work on this project has already begun. The project is estimated to cost more than US$500,000.

It would be recalled that Uganda was chosen by Bhagavan Baba to be the first country to be blessed during His maiden (and until now the only) visit outside India in 1968. Soon after Bhagavan's visit, Sri Sathya Sai Organization became operational in Uganda.