Water
The problem
In rural villages throughout Ethiopia, a communities only source of water is is often a mud puddle, stagnant pond, or contaminated stream. In these areas, bathing and hand-washing are seldom practiced in order to save water. Over half of the developing world’s primary schools do not have access to water and sanitation facilities. Women and children often travel several miles each day carrying water in 40 pound containers only to become sick and even die from the very water they have worked so hard to provide for their families.
How we help
THAF works with our alliance partners to protect springs and provide water collection systems. This prevents the spread of water-borne diseases and eases the burden placed on rural women. While we provide the funding, each of our water projects is proposed, constructed, and managed by the local community. A 2012 survey of water projects in Ethiopia found that when these projects are completed with community involvement, their success rate and long-term sustainability is markedly improved.