W/ro Workezeb & Bakelo Residents Freed from Sever Water Shortage!

The Organization for Rehabilitation & Development in Amhara (ORDA) funded by Charity Water has been implementing WaSH Projects entitled 297 and 331 with a total budget of 2.2 Million USD (over 68 Million Birr) in 2019 and 2020 in North Shoa Zone of Amhara region, Ethiopia.

To reverse the situation, ORDA and Charity Water have developed 172 safe water schemes and 7 ventilated pit latrins which benefit more than 54 thousand people in Siyadebirana Wayu, Basona Worana and Angolelana Tera woredas of North Shoa Zone of Amhara region. Water schemes will serve from 20 to 25 years if users together with concerned government bodies ensure for its proper management and sustainability.

Sources indicate inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services and poor hygiene practices negatively impact health and nutrition and waterborne diseases.

W/ro Workezeb Zewdie, aged 35, is a resident at Ametsegna village of Bakelo kebele of Basona Worana Woreda in North Shoa Zone of Amhara region.

She is married and has three children (two males & a female). Her first and second sons are in grade 7 and 4 respectively. But, now children stopped going to school due to COVID-19 pandemic. Their livelihood is basically depended on agriculture. However, water shortage makes their lives tough.

Alike other parts of Ethiopia, lack of access to clean water, shortage, and poor sanitation were troubles to resients of Bakelo & its surrounding. W/ro Workezeb is among beneficiaries of the project of ORDA to be mentioned forefront.

W/ro Workezeb and her family have been traveling for one and a half hour to fetch water from “Sherefo” spring and rivers called “Kosomeda & Chancho.” They used to drink unprotected water sources. They share these rivers with animals and wild beasts. This spouse lives together for the last 12 years but didn’t have access to safe water. People, mainly children were exposed to water borne diseases. They didn’t have sufficient water to wash clothes and practice hygienic activities. For this reason, her first son, Zegeye Adeferis was frequently ill due to unsafe water during his early childhood. Her son also wasted his golden school time because of traveling long distance to fetch water.

Beyond drinking safe water, the scheme created them opportunity for economic progress. Previously, W/ro Workezeb makes a local alcoholic drink “Arekie” and earns 100 Birr profit weekly and feeds her cow its residue. For this purpose, she used 10 to 15 jerrycan water for a daily consumption. Currently, her husband is fully responsible for 2 years in fetching water since she gave birth a little child for the third time (aged only 20 months.)

She claimed “We villagers use donkeys to take water because it’s too distant to carry. Besides agriculture, we make ‘Arekie’ to feed cows for milk. I was supplying 10 litres of milk daily. Can you imagine how much water I need in a day? I’m grateful to ORDA and Charity Water who make our life better. I no longer waste my time and energy. We are also happy in getting sufficient water. There are no lined up queues waiting for water. We are very much thrilled with water schemes.”

W/ro Workezeb and residents of Bakelo Kebele happily contributed during the water scheme construction. They supplied local materials like stone, wood, labor and other fencing materials. Workezeb & residents also promised to take care of & utilize the scheme properly.