Projekta Norise
HI FRIENDS AT LELBA,
WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON YOUR WATER PROJECT!
OVERVIEW
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Tigray
Project Type: Hand-Dug Well
Estimated People Served: 120
Implementing Partner: Relief Society of Tigray
Status: In Progress
Estimated Completion: Spring 2018
PROJECT TIMELINE: PROGRESS REPORT
Thank you so much for your patience and support! The water projects you funded in the first half of 2016 are now in the
construction and community engagement phase, and we'd like to share this progress report with you! We're excited to share the exact details of your projects in the final report once they're completed!
THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHASE
Our local implementing partner, Relief Society of Tigray (REST), will form and train a local Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committee (WASHCo) on water point maintenance, fee collection, financial management, community mobilization and how to contact external groups for support (suppliers of spare parts and government technicians). WASHCos will agree with the community on a fee for using the water point, and the fees will be used to pay for repairs and spare parts.
OUR IMPACT IN ETHIOPIA
Since 2007, we've brought millions of people clean water in Ethiopia. The generous donation you made last year is part of a grant that is helping us serve over 70,000 people through 356 projects across this beautiful country. On the next page, you can find some information and updates on how implementation has been going thus far.
TIGRAY
Tigray was heavily impacted by the civil war in Ethiopia between the seventies and eighties. Environmental damage from the war left the predominantly agricultural region impoverished and struggling to overcome the region's susceptibility to drought and water scarcity. Our implementing partner, REST has been working in Tigray since the civil war to provide relief to the region. Together, we developed a three-year plan to work towards full water coverage across Tigray by 2020. Our staff members traveled to Tigray to meet the incredibly welcoming communities and the REST team just last month to check up on the progress of your projects.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
In Ethiopia, Community Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH) is the main strategy to improve sanitation and hygiene. The approach aims to eliminate open defecation through community mobilization and awareness raising. The CLTS facilitators in the communities have led local groups through a set of exercises and meetings, aimed at triggering behavior change and latrine construction.
HAND-DUG WELLS
Hand-dug wells are a common way of accessing groundwater where the ground is soft enough to dig and the water table is more easily accessible. Skilled laborers dig only up to 15-50 meters to reach the aquifer. Afridev handpumps are installed on all REST hand-dug wells. Afridevs were designed to be corrosion resistant and easily maintained by the community. All communities receiving a water point are being trained by our partner to be able to carry out basic maintenance and keep their water point working for years to come.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR IMPLEMENTING PARTNER: RELIEF SOCIETY OF TIGRAY (REST)
Founded in 1978, the Relief Society of Tigray was started as a relief organization for the victims of the civil war. REST works in all six of Tigray's rural zones and implements water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs in around 1,000 communities every year. It is the largest non-governmental organization working in this area, with comprehensive agriculture, education, micro-finance and environmental rehabilitation development programs that help catalyze local growth. In 2012, charity: water launched a pilot program with Google to develop remote sensor technology that tells us whether water is flowing at specific projects. REST has worked with us to install sensors to over 3,000 wells. Over the last nine years, REST has helped us implement over 5,000 water projects, and with continued support from generous donors like you, we believe that we can reach full coverage in Tigray by 2020.
THANK YOU
Thanks to you, this community is well on its way to having improved access to clean water, and developing sanitation and water committees that are trained in promoting the best hygiene practices for the future. Look out for the final details of your projects in the coming months!