Bringing clean water to Tsito Tife

Aster is a 32-year old woman from the rural community of Tsito Tife, in the Uba Debretsehay district, in southwest Ethiopia.  Like her neighbours, she daily collects water from an unprotected source, the Tsito Tife River, taking her at least one hour by foot each way.  "Because we drink water that we fetch from unprotected sources, we are suffering from health problems, including stomach aches, diarrhoea and eye infections.  This increases our need for more money - for medical check-ups, treatments and medication."  Lacking time, skills and confidence to earn needed money for their households, most women in rural Ethiopia are not economically empowered.

The Tsito Tife community has been locked into this cycle poverty of generations and has repeatedly been asking the government to help them find a solution.  "We will be very happy if anyone comes here to build a clean water system and help us reduce our suffering," Aster added.  At the end of 2023, HOPE staff met with local government officials as well as Tsito Tife community leaders to discuss a future water, sanitation and livelihood skills project in their community.  The community has committed to provide labour to build the water system and all materials that can be locally sourced - stones, sand, timber, etc.  It is expected that this project will commence in July 2024, with health education and livelihood skills training starting at the same time as the construction of the water system.  The water system should be completed after 3-4 months, but the other empowerment and capacity building activities and environmental protection investments will continue until December 2025.

Sadly, the road that leads to this remote community has been blocked due to a small landslide that occurred in December.  This means that currently the only means of accessing this community is via foot.  HOPE staff will first be working with the community to clear the road, mending it where necessary, so that materials can be delivered to the project implementation area.

We are thankful for your support of this project and look forward to sending reports as the work progresses.  Currently £64,000 has been raised offline, leaving approximately £53,000 to raise by the end of June 2024.  Please continue to tell your friends, family and colleagues about HOPE's life changing work.