Christopher Opio

Where there’s a well, there’s a way. A Canadian helps Africans tap into better health

Vivid memories of the dirty, unsafe water his family drank to survive, and the preventable deaths of so many from water-borne illnesses, inspired Dr. Christopher Opio, professor of Forestry at the University of Northern British Columbia, to find a way to help the people of his native Uganda gain access to clean and safe water.

In 2007, Opio and fellow UNBC colleague Tony Donovan founded the Northern Uganda Development Foundation. Dedicated to improving the standard of living for Ugandans, the foundation is focused on promoting locally sustainable sources of safe drinking water, as well as improving farming practices, health education and small business enterprises in partnership with the local people.
Opio immigrated to Canada in 1982, but was haunted by powerful memories of the struggle and hardships his family endured. “I was born and raised in northern Uganda in a war-torn, poverty-stricken area. We walked barefoot, had to drink dirty water that was shared with animals, and suffered from parasites and many other water-borne diseases. We spent a considerable amount of time travelling long distances to collect unsafe drinking water.”

It was against this tragic backdrop that Opio decided to put his academic and scientific training to work to help the people of northern Uganda. To date, the Northern Uganda Development Foundation has opened 29 wells, providing more than 42,000 people access to clean water. The NUDF coordinates the efforts of Canadian volunteers with local Ugandans to supervise the digging and construction of the wells. Once the wells are completed, a small local committee is appointed to oversee care and maintenance.

Founding the Northern Uganda Development Foundation—and the ability to help save lives—has both inspired and changed Opio. “I’ve learned how important it is to give back to the community. It gives me great joy and satisfaction to see how NUDF is positively affecting the children, women and men in rural northern Uganda. People are healthier, children can go to schools, and many locals are engaged in income-generating projects like goat production, beekeeping and tree planting.”

In a land where clean water can literally mean the difference between life and death, Opio has met many people along the way who have deeply affected him. One such person was northern Ugandan Engola Dicken, who told NUDF: “I thought I would die without ever drinking clean water.”

—Leah Macpherson