Delivering clean water to rural Ethiopians

Construction beginning on the new reservoir

Big Step for Delivering Clean Water to 19,000 Ethiopians

WEEMA’s largest clean water project ever has taken a big step forward, which is good news for thousands of families living in the Tembaro district.

Last month we finalized an agreement with Water Action to take over and finish the construction project that will provide drinking water and healthy sanitation services to just under 19,000 people living in four neighborhoods – Bachira, Bada, Bohe, and Waro. Construction is already well underway and is expected to be completed in nine months.

Once the project is finished, community members will no longer have to walk for hours every day to fetch water from streams and ponds, which are often contaminated. Water collection is usually the job of mothers, girls, and other children – a time-consuming task that often prevents them from going to school and learning other skills. 

New distribution pipelines running from a reservoir and 21 water access points in the four neighborhoods will make it far easier for community members to collect clean water each day.  

The project will also improve water sanitation services and practices. Four public latrines will be installed in key public locations along with 50 new household latrines and 150 more that will be upgraded. Community members and local health extension workers will also be trained to operate the facilities and raise community awareness about clean sanitation practices. Reflecting its support and commitment to project cost-sharing, the community is providing free labor for the effort.

Added together, it’s easy to understand our excitement about this endeavor, which is critical for improving health and living conditions, as well as broader economic development.

Pipes that will bring water from the spring to water points

Strategies for achieving community-led development

WEEMA Board member, Habtamu Lamore

Strategies for achieving community-led development

While “community-led development” is gaining traction in the development and humanitarian sectors, putting those words into practice is still a big challenge for many nonprofit groups, philanthropists, and government agencies.

This month, WEEMA board member Habtamu Lamore joined global experts to examine what it takes for organizations to truly achieve community engagement and empowerment – key bedrocks of community-led development – in their day-to-day work. The symposium was organized by the Movement for Community-Led Development, a group of 63 global organizations, including WEEMA International, as well as Save the Children, World Vision, and the Hunger Project.

“The bottom line is authenticity,” said Nancy Wilson, CEO of Relief International, who kicked off the all-day gathering in Washington DC. “If we’re going to say we understand the community and what programs are appropriate for that community, then we have to truly understand the community, not our impressions of the community, but their understanding of themselves. Not our assessment of their needs but their assessment of their own assets and aspirations.”

Bonnie Glick, Deputy Administrator of USAID, echoed the sentiment and referred to the agency’s commitment to fostering self-reliance. “If you’re doing something for other people that they could do themselves, you’re not doing them any favors,” she said. “In fact, you’re probably doing them harm.”

Here are some of the key takeaways of the meeting:

Words Matter: Participants agreed that organizations should be sensitive about not using terms such as “beneficiaries,” that undermine community members’ direct involvement and ownership in projects. Words that show the important role played by community members, such as partners and clients, are preferable.

Let Communities Decide: When communities are given a chance to speak out, participate, and decide on a project, it puts them at the partner level, thus fostering self-reliance and resilience. 

WEEMA’s board member Lamore discussed how WEEMA partners closely with local leaders and other community stakeholders to pursue local solutions for local problems. He emphasized the importance of listening and respecting community voices. Because of poor communications – whether due to poor listening or poor translation – organizations tend to ‘hear’ what they presume the community wants.

Citing WEEMA’s community-led approaches, Lamore suggested working with local leaders and hiring local staff to minimize translation challenges. He suggested relying on multiple sources to ensure that community perspectives are valid. Most important of all, he said, NGOs that deliver long-lasting results will build community trust.

Congratulations to Higa Boarding School!

Three cheers to Higa Boarding School and its students

Kudos to Higa Boarding School in Kembata-Tembaro and the 10th grade students who aced the national exams last June. The test results came back last month and 92 percent of the students – 124 of 135 – received top scores, a key step in completing secondary education and advancing to university-level studies. Even more impressive, Higa was the second highest scoring school in all of Ethiopia.

This is a remarkable achievement for the district’s only boarding school and everyone who has been involved since its launch in 2017. In just two years, the school has added two grades – it now has 9th, 10th and 11th grades. Critical equipment and educational resources have also been added to ensure that students – the region’s best and brightest - have the tools they need to succeed.

Special credit goes to community members, the District Education Department, and the local nonprofit group, Gogota Care, which provided critical support in getting the school - a former university property – off the ground. Roots Ethiopia also deserves praise for its efforts.

WEEMA, which provided computers, textbooks, desks, chairs, and other key resources to the school library and computer center last year, is honored to be part of the success.

We were especially heartened by recent feedback we received from a biology teacher about the equipment upgrades. “The computers and the library improvements had a great impact on the results,” he told us.

Students, teachers and school staff, of course, deserve the biggest applause. Their achievements in such a short time are nothing short of remarkable.

WEEMA Receives Top Award in Kembata-Tembaro

WEEMA’s Project Coordinator, Amanuel Abebo, accepts the award on WEEMA’s behalf

WEEMA Receives Top Award in Kembata-Tembaro

 The WEEMA team is thrilled to be honored recently by the Kembata-Tembaro Zone Administration as its top nongovernmental community partner.

 The award, announced last week at the Kembata-Tembaro Zone’s Cultural, Historic and Language Symposium in Durame, recognizes WEEMA’s wide-ranging contributions to improved clean water access, healthcare, and educational opportunities over the past eight years. Amanuel Abebo, WEEMA’s Project Coordinator in Kembata-Tembaro, accepted the award on behalf of WEEMA.

 The plaque reads: “This award is given to WEEMA International for its dedication in the development endeavors of strengthening hospitals through medical equipment support, building and equipping public libraries, establishing and fulfilling early grade kindergarten schools and addressing community needs via potable water supplies.”

 To learn more about these and other community-led projects WEEMA is undertaking in this underserved rural region in southwestern Ethiopia, read our recent blogs here.

Water for Farsuma

Alemitu rises in the morning, readying herself for a day split between caring for her six children and walking for water. Alemitu’s husband works as a plumber, which leaves her to make the two-hour round trip to the nearest river in order to collect water to cook, drink, and clean. This trip must be made at least twice a day.

WEEMA built Farsuma Water Project to provide water to the community where Alemitu lives with her family, 15 kilometers away from Mudula. Alemitu expresses how the water project has transformed her life; “Now I can get water any time to wash clothes, clean my house and bathe my children.”

Her husband, Abraham, is joyous that his family finally has access to potable water, and his wife no longer spends hours carrying heavy jerrycans. “Water was the main problem of this community, especially clean drinking water. People and children used to get sick from river water, but thanks to WEEMA International that is no longer a problem we face.”

A commitment to providing clean water was the foundation of WEEMA International. Farsuma is one example of our continued work to respond to and support the communities' needs!