A local couple is returning to Uganda to resume humanitarian efforts that began nearly a decade ago. But before setting off, Geoff Owen and Paula Munro are hosting the premier of Catching Rain, a film documenting the construction of an important rainwater catchment in the village of Kitezo on Thursday (Oct. 30) at the Eagle Eye Theatre.The documentary is presented by Grassroots Assistance in Rural Development (GARD) and was filmed by one of the nine Canadians who spent more than four months working side-by-side with the Ugandan people in 2005. It is meant to illuminate the spirit of a people and the great feats that can be achieved when a community pulls together.The whole community of about 200 people were on site contributing two or three times a week. It was an enlightening example of community mobilization, said Munro, 30."They'd have women with babies on their backs and it's just amazing. You just couldn't believe how the whole community came out. To see that was so cool because you know these people want it so badly."Villagers in the Kikagati area of southwestern Uganda rely mainly on crude earthen dugouts for drinking water and household needs. The water is mainly runoff from surrounding fields and livestock pastures and it is difficult, if not impossible, to purify it with local methods.Rainwater catchment systems allow local water purifying methods to be used and are designed to hold 1.4 million litres of water and provide 15 litres of water per person per day throughout the 60-day dry season. Owen, 31, originally visited Uganda in 1999 as a volunteer helping to build biosand filters but soon decided the construction of a large scale rainwater catchment was necessary. After receiving financial support from the Ugandan government and doing their own fundraising, Owen and his father helped Ugandans build a catchment in Kabumba valued at about $20,000.In 2005, Owen returned with Munro (the two were recently married) and seven other Canadians to build a second catchment in Kitezo. "It just seems like every time we're out there another community seems interested and we built a group of people that are pretty psyched on doing it," said Owen, adding the return to Canada is always a bit surreal."We still have flashbacks or moments when we're hanging out in Canada and it's just like wow, we've got a shower, the food is so good here and the roads are fantastic. It gets us thinking about the people over there."Although the Canadians dedicate their time to providing Ugandans with building skills and health and sanitation education, Owen is quick to point out that the people have their own values to teach. "I hate using the term 'poor.' They don't have the same opportunities that we do here but they have such a wealth, they seem more to be in tune with something we're not."The documentary attempts to capture the lives of the Ugandan people while detailing the attempts being made to preserve them.On Nov. 14, Owen and Munro return to Uganda, where they will spend 10 weeks educating and helping to build a rainwater catchment in the village of Adakingo. They are premiering the Catching Rain documentary Thursday (Oct. 30) at the Eagle Eye Theatre. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are available at the door for $10.All proceeds from the event go to support GARD's continued work in Africa.
