WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
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| Photo courtsey of Darren Kanwischer, Fifth Ave Club, Calgary |
Because of generous Canadian support in 2013, 700 families in Sasiga, Ethiopia – more than 3,500 individuals – now have access to clean water.
Launched in 2013, this three-year project is constructing 22 new water points (both hand-dug wells and capped springs) which will bring clean water accessibility up to 90% of the nearly 41,000 people who call Sasiga home.
Seven new water points were constructed in Sasiga, Ethiopia last year, with 15 more planned in the next two years. Community members are providing labour and locally-sourced materials such as stone and wood, while Food for the Hungry is providing access to well technicians and other needed materials.
To ensure sustainability, the community has chosen a committee to be responsible for the operation, maintenance and security of the water point. FH trained the committee members and helped certain individuals specialize as pump attendants and caretakers. The committee has chosen to charge a small user fee to create a fund for maintenance and repair of the water point and to post a guard for security.
Mothers Kibenesh Worku and Alima Jemal no longer fear that their children will contract water-borne diseases. In addition to this peace of mind, the new clean water point has also given these close friends a few more hours in their day. They’re no longer faced with the daily decision of risking illness by using the nearby but unprotected stream, or facing the half-day trek to the river.
Dule Hailu can hardly believe the difference she sees in her children. The stream she used to use for all her family’s water needs was also the stream the community used for washing and waste removal. She now has clean water and has seen an immediate impact. “God changed everything,” she says. “I thank Canada for their unimaginable care for our community and for my family.”
Wells were dug by hand in Baredu Belo, Handhura Belo, Lalisa Bareda, Bikiltu Shonkora. Spring capped and protected wells were dug in Hora Wata and Oda Gudina.
To contribute to or find out more about FH water initiatives, click here.
