Humanitarian Aid in Ethiopia - Clean Water
OUR WORK IN ETHIOPIA
Dongoro-Elecho Potable Water Supply Expansion Works, Aleta Chuko Woreda
The Chuko Water Project was recently completed in the Dongoro-Elecho Village of Chuko Woreda with the complete support and participation of the local community. A six-faucet water access point was constructed to provide 4,000 people coming from a 1.5 km radius (just over 1 mile) with clean water. The community contributed 25% of the total project costs through labor and donated materials such as gravel.
Women and children are traditionally responsible for gathering water in Ethiopia. In Dongoro-Elecho, children had difficulty attending school because they had to walk an hour or more to bring water home to their family.
"It is my responsibility to collect water for my family. I go to a spring that is a 50-60 minute walk away from my home. Every morning and afternoon I must go to collect water. This means that four hours of my day are spent getting water for the family. Sometimes my daughter helps me when she does not have school work to do. I'm so happy that when the water project is completed, I will have clean water right next to my house. Then I will have more time to do other housework. I am eager for it to start soon!"
Worke Kuma, mother of 7 children
Prior to the project's completion, only 36.2% of households in Chuko had access to clean water. People washed their hands and bodies in the same water source that was used for drinking; the water was further contaminated by animals who defecated in the same area. This contributed to high rates of water-borne and fecal-borne disease throughout the region.
Tsegaye Berhrasa, a community member and father of two children, volunteered his time to dig and excavate the piping for the project. He explained that clean water is desperately needed for his family: "My wife walks more than an hour every day to collect water. The water is not clean and we have had problems with sickness." With the new water access point completed, his wife will only have to walk a couple of minutes to reach clean water.
Thousands more people in Chuko and surrounding communities are in desperate need of clean water. You can help make a donation online for another clean water project or other humanitarian aid needs in Ethiopia.
