Fund A Project
Clean Drinking Water: Gelan Gura Kebele Water Well Initiative
The Location: The Gelan Gura Kebele community in rural Ethiopia
The People: Entire community population of 4,220 people (850 families) currently accessing severely polluted water. Community facilities such as the health post and schools will also benefit.
The Challenge: Despite the potential of the fertile region, Gelan Gura is devastated by unfiltered pollution in the only local water supply. The community is home to farming families who try to eke out subsistence, while battling constant and serious illnesses caused by drinking unsafe water. Women spend their days fetching water, walking barefoot up to 10 kilometres, just to provide the minimum for their families. They do so at great personal risk every day, in a region afflicted by lawlessness and lack of development.
View our photo gallery to see the work that has been done to date!
The community’s only source of water is the contaminated Akaki River, which is used for all drinking, cooking, cleaning and irrigation needs. Residents are aware of the dangers of drinking and cooking with this waste-filled water, which contains used industrial waste, syringes, human excreta and animal dung, but there simply is no alternative. Of all cases treated at the local health clinic, 90% of them are water-borne illnesses that could be prevented. These illnesses result in a significant loss of productivity as breadwinners fall ill and others work to care for them. Tragically, the dirty drinking water also leads to great suffering and even death.
The Solution: Since 2004, Canadian Feed The Children has been working in partnership with EDA, to assist marginalized families with access to basic education, community health, agricultural inputs and income generation opportunities. EDA’s experience working with water and sanitation projects aligns well with Canadian Feed The Children’s objectives and has created an opportunity to further enhance the health and wellbeing of this community. To ensure that the families of the Gelan Gura Kebele community are healthy and productive, this project aims to provide access to safe drinking water. The Gelan Gura Kebele Water Initiative seeks to construct one borehole well with underground piping and two water storage points each equipped with 12 taps. The key activities include research and planning, community mobilization and training, the establishment of a water committee, well digging and installation, hygiene and sanitation education, and monitoring and evaluation.
We need to raise another $51,535 towards a total budget of $144,100. Each dollar we raise puts children a step closer to clean water and good health.
You can help! Donate today or contact Cheryl Weldon for detailed information on this project and others.
