Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion In the Oromiya Region, Southern Ethiopia
Project Report: Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Project
in the Oromiya Region - Southern Ethiopia
Project Background
A long-term, collaborative partnership began in 2007 between the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus
and Lifewater International. In the five years since the organizations started working together, more than
100,000 people have received access to safe water, more than 50,000 have learned basic hygiene and
sanitation principles, and the gospel has been preached in word and deed in nearly every community. Through
the generous donations of Lifewater’s supporters, the Mekane Yesus Church’s, Development and Social
Services Commission (DASSC) has implemented the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Project in
four districts of the Oromiya Region in southern Ethiopia.
This project started in August of 2009, and since that time, 106 community
water systems have been constructed, which currently provide safe water
to more than 72,547 men, women and children. The walking distance to a
safe water source was shortened to a radius of a maximum of 1.5 km (0.9
mile), reducing the physical burden on women and girls who carry water.
The time and energy saved provides additional time for productive chores,
income generating activities, family, and school. The traditional water
sources which caused disease and death no longer pose such threats;
instead, life-saving clean water supplies are helping people and communities
grow, prosper and live healthy and abundant lives.
Ogo Denbi Kebele, a local administrative division, is located in the Bule Hora
District of Ethiopia’s Oromiya Region. Ogo Denbi has a population of
approximately 7,600 people and is one of the many Kebele’s in the project
area which have received drinking water, and hygiene and sanitation
education in the past three years. When this project began, safe water in Bule Hora was accessible to only 46%
of its 317,342 residents, living in 37 Kebeles. The presence of Mekane Yesus Church in communities has
impacted people of many faith backgrounds, including Muslim, Animist, Orthodox and pagan peoples.
Due to its geographical remoteness,
outlying Kebeles like Ogo Denbi and its
neighbors never had the opportunity for
safe drinking water. Women and girls
would collect dirty water from unsafe
sources such as open ponds, rivers or hand
dug wells. Children suffered from diarrhea,
scabies and gastrointestinal parasites as
documented in local clinical records.
Today, the story looks very different.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Project dates: August
2009 to March 2013
106 communities
72,547 people served
with safe drinking water
36,714 Hygiene trained
$237,426 in cost-share
donated by Lifewater
supporters
Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion In the Oromiya Region, Southern Ethiopia
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Ogo Denbi
The drought of 2011-12 prioritized the provision of safe water as
the number one community development goal. In the Ogo Denbi
Kebele, DASSC constructed four hand dug wells which are
protected with a sanitary seal to prevent infiltration of surface
water. A hand pump was installed to prevent contamination
from bacteria. Additionally, improvements were made to two
local springs by protecting the spring watershed and containing
flow to allow for easy and clean collection. These six safe water
sources now provide safe drinking water to more than 3,200
people, or 42% of the Kebele. In the eyes of the local government
and local people, the progress made seems remarkable and all
the water systems are highly appreciated by all the community
users.
In addition to safe water supplies, Lifewater and DASSC made
a tremendous effort to promote family behavior change in
hygiene and sanitation practices. To accomplish this goal,
DASSC built demonstration latrines in populated places to
showcase examples of what could be constructed using
simple, local materials. The DASSC field staff then trained
villagers in simple construction methods and provided hand
tools so people could build pit toilets for their own families.
To date, 72 households in Ogo Denbi have constructed
improved household pit latrines, which are being used by
more than 500 family members.
The hygiene education program focused on water-related
diseases, caused primarily through transmission of germs
from unburied feces and dirty hands. Lifewater hosted four
training workshops using volunteer field trainers to teach
Community Health through Hygiene to DASSC staff and its field workers. Lifewater used participatory methods
to create ownership in local trainers, tapping into local knowledge and asking participants to develop their
own solutions. We used a training-of-trainers (TOT) strategy to spread the word quickly, multiplying new ideas
rapidly across a wide geographic area. The most critical hygiene and sanitation topics taught included: 1) hand
washing at critical times, 2) safe storage of clean water, and 3) safe fecal disposal. Training provided
community members with healthy behaviors to block the spread of germs and diseases. Access to safe water
sources coupled with sanitation facilities and improved hygiene practices are arresting health-related problems,
especially for children under-five years. The rate of acute watery diarrhea reported in the Kebeles has dropped
dramatically during the project.
Village WASH promoters taught hygiene and sanitation in eight sub-villages in the Ogo Denbi Kebele. They
conducted house-to-house visits to inspect facilities and teach individual families on healthy hygiene behaviors.
Traditional water sources like the
unprotected hand dug well (top) and
spring (below) were common places to
fetch water in Ogo Denbi.
Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion In the Oromiya Region, Southern Ethiopia
Hygiene promoters used social and cultural gatherings, such as religious festivals and administrative holidays as
opportunities to share WASH messages. During the past several months, 2,345 people in Ogo Denbi received
training on water, sanitation and hygiene topics. In addition, a special effort was made to host specialized
training for 30 community leaders from Ogo Denbi -- best practices have shown that involving influential
community leaders as “agents of change” is an important step towards long term ownership and
sustainability. After the leaders training, they initiated Kebele-level WASH promotion campaigns of their own,
demonstrating their ownership and interests in WASH had increased.
Ogo Denbi School students were the beneficiaries of WASH training using Lifewater’s: Ten Building Blocks for
Better Health – a Primary School WASH Curriculum. Lifewater trained teachers who motivated students and
helped initiate after-school WASH clubs. Thirty WASH Club students (15 boys and 15 girls) received training from
their teachers over several weeks. They encouraged the students in health clubs to “share what you know”
with other students, in their homes and in the community at large. The 10 Building Blocks for Better Health
curriculum is a fun program designed for children that used songs, dramas, and poems to teach these topics:
Drink, drink safe water! Know the difference between safe and unsafe water! Stop the spread of diseases!
Keep our bodies clean! Keep safe water safe! Keep food and utensils clean! Use latrines always! Keep our
schools and homes clean! Use safe water when caring for sick people! Share what you know about better
health! The students trained in the 10 Building Blocks for Better Health program have been raising awareness
with their families, with other students from nearby schools, and in their own communities at home. So far the
school WASH clubs have reached 1,120 people with culturally appropriate WASH messages.
Local Community Involvement
Lifewater and DASSC believe that
involvement by community members is
imperative to building local ownership,
which ultimately helps to sustain the
operation of the water system. People
generously donated their time and labor to
the project by contributing unskilled labor,
excavating springs, clearing brush, building
roads, and transporting building materials
from the main road to the village.
Community members fenced wells and
springs to protect them from damages
which could be caused by donkeys, cows or
wild animals. Watershed protection is being
encouraged by villagers who are
regenerating vegetation and planting coffee
and tree seedlings to help maintain the water
table.
Local management of water systems is an important factor leading to long-term, sustainable operation and
maintenance of water supplies. According to the project design, local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
A local WASH Committee meets under the shade of the
community tree to discuss the governance of its water
system.
Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion In the Oromiya Region, Southern Ethiopia
Committees have been established at all new or rehabilitated water systems by DASSC. Each WASH committee
consists of seven members, of which four members are women and three are men. Women provide direct
oversight of hand pump operations, and their involvement has
encouraged cooperation among water users. WASH Committee
members organize the community, and facilitate setting the
monthly user-fee; they are also responsible for collection of funds
and depositing user-fees into the bank. Committee members from
almost all water schemes received three days of governance
training. To date, a total of 42 WASH Committee members have
taken part in governance training, which was done in collaboration
with the local Ministry of Water government office. The WASH
Committee members are seriously adhering to their
responsibilities to collect fees, to maintain and protect the water
schemes and provide watershed protection for surrounding
environment.
Community Impacts
Impressive health, social and educational impacts are emerging
following safe water supply and effective sanitation and hygiene
promotion in Ogo Denbi. Parents and health extension workers
reported that children have rarely been affected by diarrhea, scabies
and intestinal parasites since the establishment of safe water
systems. Because the newly developed water systems are within the acceptable walking distance of 1.5
kilometers radius, women and girls have reported a reduced workload. More girls are in school this academic
year as compared to previous years. Mothers are engaged in gardening, handcrafting and small trade to
generate additional income for the household. A final project evaluation was recently completed and once
published will provide statistical details on the cumulative changes seen in communities. In addition, the
Mekane Yesus Church also collects data on church growth annually, which will be available in the spring and
help indicated spiritual changes in communities as a result of this project.
Sustainability
Development practices have changed in recent years to place a greater emphasis on long-term gains and
sustainability. In order to sustain the functionality of safe water systems, three water technicians from each of
eight sub-villages within Ogo Denbi Kebele were trained to diagnose problems and make minor repairs to hand
pumps. Technicians were also taught ho w to maintain spring improvements for long-lasting use. The local
government Ministry of Water office will provide technical support and loan out hand tools for pump repairs as
needed. Another important factor in sustainability is the financial contribution from local users. People now
recognize the importance of paying into a maintenance fund to sustain the local water system. People have
collectively decided on the user-fee rate at three Ethiopian Birr per household per month (about $0.18/mo). The
cash is being collected by the WASH Committee and is deposited in separate bank accounts. The process has
been transparent with high levels of accountability, so the default rate has been minimal. Mrs. Halaku Gumi,
the treasurer of one of the WASH Committees, says “we have some money in the bank which will be used to pay
for the pump caretaker, repair and maintenance and eventually to develop another well. We have more than 550
Each household pays a user-fee
monthly, which is deposited in a
special community bank account
with pass-book (above).
Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion In the Oromiya Region, Southern Ethiopia
Ethiopian Birr (about $32) in only six months. Thanks to our almighty God and the donors. We have been taught
the road to development”. In some places, the collection of user-fees is being complemented with the idea of
generating additional financial income by planting seedlings of fruit trees, and coffee around the protected
water schemes while protecting the natural environment.
Success Stories from the Field
Ogo Denbi Student Appreciates Safe Water
The Ogo Denbi primary school has approximately
960 students in first through eighth grades. Eleven-
year old Tinishu Burka is a fourth grade student who
is a member of the Gumi after school WASH Club at
Ogo Denbi School. His family benefits from the new
water well placed in his community. Tinishu explains
that he has learned about sanitation and hygiene at
school, especially appreciates hand washing at
critical times. In June 2012, his WASH Club held a WASH promotion campaign in town, marching through the
streets carrying banners declaring WASH messages during market day. The students’ enthusiasm impressed
the local shoppers, some of whom were parents of the children. Tinishu said, “I have not had stomach
problems since my family started using water from
the safe water well”, and added, “I now go to school
on-time, since the well is located close to my home.”
In this part of Ethiopia, boys have begun to fetch
water, which breaks with gender-related cultural
norms. Gender issues are a key development focus,
and WASH programs encourage girls to stay in
school.
WASH Committee Member and Mother Thankful
for Clean Water
Mrs. Halaku Gumi, is a 44 year-old resident of Ogo
Denbi Kebele, a mother, and a member of the WASH
Committee at the Micha Well. Halaku has been serving
as Treasurer for the WASH Committee for the last one
and a half years. At a local committee meeting, she
spoke about her previous water supply, “we feared
sending our children to fetch water from the uncovered well in which runoff caries feces and all dirty thing. As
a result we were all suffering from water born diseases”. Happily, she exclaims that the kids can fetch water
“Fetching water is no longer affecting my schooling,
the water is now safe to drink and at close distance
to my home…” says Tinishu Burka, a fourth grade
student from Ogo Denbi School.
Now I am proud to invite my neighbors on
holidays; because we have got clean water and
clean latrine, my children no longer suffer from
stomach aches.”
Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion In the Oromiya Region, Southern Ethiopia
now without problems; they can go to school on time and everyone drinks clean water! “When guests came to
my house from town, I was ashamed to give them the water we used to drink or to tell them to defecate in the
garden. I felt sad”. Now I am proud to invite my neighbors on holidays; because we have got clean water and
clean latrine, my children no longer suffer from stomach aches.”
Conclusion
Lifewater and its partners are thankful for your participation to help make this project a success! Thank you for
your financial support and your prayers for this special project in Ethiopia. The WASH Committee members
from Ogo Denbi Kebele sent this special message to Lifewater’s supporters to let you know how much this has
meant to them.
May the Lord bless you, your services and life with love, peace, health and wealth
We praise our Lord Jesus Christ since He responded to our prayers and tears for years
Our children are now healthy and we are sending them to school regularly
We promise to do our level best to sustain the water systems
There are many more households who are not yet reached in this Kebele, and we need your prayers to
continue
Thank you!
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