Providing a lifeline to communities in need of water

Currently, an estimated 61 million Ethiopians lack access to safe water and 65 million lack access to improved sanitation, with 27 million of those practicing open defecation . The lack of clean water and absence of adequate sanitation has serious impacts on health, especially for children, with diarrheal diseases being the second largest cause of mortality in children under five in Ethiopia.

For more than 8 years now, the Austrian Red Cross and its back donor Austrian Development Agency have been supporting the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) to implement various water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities in Kofele, Arsi Negele and Shalla Woredas of West Arsi Zone. Drought and lack of water have created many challenges for the communities, who face severe shortages of water for drinking, as well as for domestic purposes like cooking, cleaning and bathing.

Masha Dawano, a representative for the women of Gembotarote Kebele in Kofele Woreda, described the impact of drought in her community. “Our serious problem was shortage of water. We were drinking water with animals like donkeys and horses, where they also urinate in it. But the Red Cross dug the water for us and now we are keeping our dignity as human beings.”

In addition to preventing water-borne diseases and improving health, the construction of shallow wells has also had additional economic and social benefits in the communities. Women and children, who bear the responsibility of collecting water, were previously travelling very long distances – often for more than a day – to fetch water. Now, as a result of facilities nearby, the women have more time to care for their children, as well as participate in economic activities, and children are no longer missing school.

Another component of the project in West Arsi is the education and promotion of hygiene and sanitation. Initially, 75 community members received training in First Aid (CBHFA) and hygiene promotion from the Red Cross. They now work as volunteers to conduct hygiene and sanitation sessions amongst their fellow community members, with more than 3,000 households already benefitting from the program.

Dibata Gelchu, a participant of one of these sessions, explained “We were educated about how to keep our environment and compound clean. Following that, we dug our toilet and began using it properly. We have been working on cleaning our surroundings and personal hygiene. Then we became free of diseases.”

ERCS Branch Head in West Arsi, Kemal Abdellah, explained that many of the health problems in the communities are a result of poor sanitation and hygiene practices. “So many waterborne diseases, such as amoeba, diarrhoea, happen because of poor sanitation and hygiene. In the communities where they are aware about sanitation and hygiene they know how to protect themselves from different contamination”, said Kemal. He went on to express how the water points constructed by the Red Cross are also essential to improving hygiene and sanitation, stating “If there is no water there is no hygiene and sanitation – the two of them are very interrelated.”

Ensuring that these improvements are sustained in the long-term has been an important consideration for the Red Cross. Accordingly, the participation and ownership of these WASH resources and activities has been a key focus of the program. Community members have been trained on how to properly use the water point, and how to maintain them and protect them from damage. Financial mobilization from community members also has been established so that repairs can be undertaken when necessary.

The West Arsi Zone will continue to be part of the Austrian Red Cross priority area where focus will be given to WASH innovation and sustainability projects in the coming 5 years. As of January 2019, the Austrian Red Cross has received funding from Austrian Development Agency to implement a 5-year WASH capacity building program where the ERCS West Arsi Zonal branch is among the identified priority branches to build the WASH response capacities.