Belaynesh Shiferaw’s young daughter, Rahel, is responsible for fetching water for their household. Each day, usually multiple times a day, Rahel travels over thirty minutes to fetch water from the nearby town of Kela.
Belaynesh is 60 years old. She lives with her family of five in an informal settlement in Dabe Seloke kebele, Adama town. In her village, access to clean water is challenging. This results in residents travelling far, and waiting in long lines to pay a costly one Birr for a 20L jerry can of water. Her daughter, Rahel, transports as much water as she can using a donkey; however, its usually not enough to support their household use for drinking, cooking, laundry, and her family’s livestock.
Rahel is a student and her responsibility to fetch water often causes her to miss class, and sometimes to be tardy for school. She usually does not have enough time to balance her studies and household responsibilities. Belaynesh often fetches additional water at night, which leaves her with little time to prepare dinner for her family.
Since the water line was extended (1.3km) through Amref Health Africa’s Making WASH Everybody’s Business (MWEB) project, Belaynesh now has access to a water point near her home. The availability of water so close to her home often feels unreal to her. She said, “Sometimes I go and check the water because it seems this as a dream. What a relief! We have now clean and safe water close to our house.” She expressed extreme gratitude for the ease the construction of the local water point has brought her and her family. She affirmed, “I believe water is life and it is now in my home. As a result, I can carry out all my household activities timely and my daughter Rahel can focus on her education.” Belaynesh thanks Amref and those who collaborates with, including the authorities of her kebele (village) for their unreserved effort in ensuring her community has access to safe water.
Amref Health Africa teams up with African communities to create lasting health change.