At an age when many people would reasonably expect to retire and rely on their children for support, 78-year-old Henry Balikowa, a resident of Iganga District, begins his day before sunrise pushing a loaded bicycle to secure his daily survival.
Every morning at 6:00am, Mr. Balikowa sets out to fetch clean water for local households and businesses. His daily target is to supply at least 50 jerrycans, selling each unit for Shs500. For every round trip, he loads eight jerrycans-weighing roughly 160 kilograms-onto his bicycle frame and treks about three kilometres.
To manage the physical strain, Mr. Balikowa splits his schedule into two shifts. Between 6:00am and 11:00am, he attempts to deliver at least 25 jerrycans before the afternoon heat peaks. He returns home to rest during the hottest hours, resuming work at 4:30pm until dusk.
However, advanced age and persistent pain frequently prevent him from hitting his target, forcing him to settle for about 30 jerrycans on difficult days.
“Every morning, I wake up with pain in my joints and across my entire body. At night, the pain follows me to bed,” Mr. Balikowa said in an interview. He explained that he relies on daily over-the-counter painkillers simply to acquire enough strength to move his loaded bicycle.
There are days when severe chest pain prevents him from riding or pushing the bicycle altogether, forcing him to abandon his route and retreat home.
“At 78, I know my body is no longer made for such hard labour, but stopping is not an option,” he noted.
Despite the hardship, Mr. Balikowa has built vital relationships within his community. Ms. Fiona Babirye, a local restaurant owner in Iganga Town, provides him with breakfast and lunch daily in exchange for eight jerrycans of water. On days when health complications prevent him from working, Ms. Babirye still provides his meals, which Mr. Balikowa repays with water deliveries once he recovers.
When asked why he continues the strenuous routine despite having adult children, Mr. Balikowa revealed that relying on extended family proved unsustainable.
“I have a family and children, but constantly asking them and other people for financial help became difficult. After repeatedly seeking support and being ignored, I decided to find something I could do for myself,” Mr. Balikowa said. “I looked at my bicycle and asked myself what I could do with it, and this work was the answer.”
In addition to physical exhaustion, Mr. Balikowa faces resistance from clients who refuse to pay. Because borehole water is free at the source, some residents argue they should not pay for the commodity.
“They do not consider the physical energy it takes to pump the water, the extreme weight, and the distance covered every day,” Mr. Balikowa explained. “The water may be free at the source, but the journey to deliver it is not.”
Looking to the future, Mr. Balikowa hopes to acquire more jerrycans and large water storage drums. This would allow him to pump and store water during cooler evening hours, reducing his daytime exposure to the sun and granting his body crucial rest.
Until such assistance arrives, Mr. Balikowa continues to report to work every morning at 6:00am-not because his physical condition allows it, but because he has no alternative.