By Julie Cole | HOPE UK Fundraiser
Thank you so much for donating to HOPE during Global Giving's recent campaigns. We are pleased to announce that we have now reached our fundraising target and that the Kalebo Laka water project can proceed in May as planned. We are so pleased! Between your generous donations, Global Giving's matched funds and one large offline donation, HOPE UK is transferring the needed money for the upcoming water project to HOPE Ethiopia to begin buying the necessary materials.
Like all HOPE projects, construction work is proceeded with community meetings to discuss the logistics of the project and consult about the exact location of the water points and wash basins. In Kalebo Laka, the community has already agreed to provide the necessary labour for digging the pipe line trenches, site clearing and the transportation of construction materials. They will also provide local materials (sand, gravel, wood for fencing, etc). Shortly community meetings will also take place to elect 20 members for the Water Committee (10 men and 10 women) and 10 Water Caretakers (also 50% men and women). Training will be provided throughout the construction of the water system for both of these groups. Their involvement is essential for sustainability.
Presently HOPE Ethiopia is completing a water project in a nearby village to Kalebo Laka, funded by our partner, HOPE Japan. The attached photos from that village capture show what will soon be taking place in Kalabo Laka as well.
One difference, however, is that in Kalebo Laka HOPE is also planning to run a programme to invest in 200 women. Not only will they receive all the obvious benefits from living only five minutes from a source of clean water, but HOPE will also teach basic business skills and principles of saving and lending money over a 12 month period. These women - usually the least educated and most needy in the community - will volunteer to be placed into a Self Help Groups (SHGs) of 20 other women to support one another, learn together and lend money to each other for income generating activities. In the two villages where HOPE has recently piloted this work, the following has been reported, "Even though it is a very short time since we started the women empowerment intervention (less than a year), there are good indications of empowering SHG members to make decisions on issues that affect their social and economic lives. Almost all SHG members are engaged in income-generating activities as a group and individually, and have made strides towards positive change in gender relations in their households …". If you are interested in learning more about this complementary project in Kalebo Laka, please follow this link: http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/projects/start-shgs-for-200-women-in-kalebolaka/
In conclusion, we want to thank you again for your timely and generous contribution to HOPE's work in Kalebo Laka. We believe that access to clean water is a catalyst to transformational change. You have enabled this to happen in Kalebo Laka and we are grateful.
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