Changing the future with clean water

We are delighted to report that the construction of the water system in Arat Ber is now complete and health education and livelihood skills training is well underway with evidence of changed behaviours and an improved quality of life. 

Here are some intital outcomes evidenced since the start of the project in July 2025:

1. Health: As HOPE staff rolled out the delivery of health education for all men, women and children in the Arat Ber community, there have been increasing examples of changed behaviours (washing clothes and dishes in an uncontaminated wash basin with clean water, washing hands properly, using a shelf for kitchen materials, using a drying rack for utensils and crockery, plus general improvements in the cleanliness of homes, etc) and initial improvements in health (fewer reported stomach aches and episodes with diarrhea). 
2. Economic: Having a local water system is providing more time for economic activities; local water access allows more people (men and women) to get involved in earning needed money for their households. For example, further to HOPE’s Self Help Group (SHG) training, 100 women are now starting to save money weekly (for most SHGs, it is 5 Eth birr/person/week). This is a habit that did not exist prior to HOPE’s input. After they completed the small business and entrepreneurship training, all 100 women took out a loan from their SHG and started small income generating activities – either individually or in a group – to improve the economic conditions of their families.  HOPE will provide continued weekly support and training within SHGs until the project ends in June 2026.  
3. Self-reliance: The provision of clean water has been a significant catalyst of change, granting local people opportunity they can pursue because they now have more flexible time (instead of spending hours sourcing water on a daily basis) and are increasingly equipped with skills to help themselves out of poverty. Most significantly, there is also an increased sense of confidence and hope for the future. Similarly, an emerging culture of women working together, embracing opportunity with each other’s support, is growing. They now feel they have a role to play in determining their future and the future of their children.  

Monitoring and evaluation activities will continue in Arat Ber, through site surveys and observations, questionnaires and focus group discussions, and through available secondary data sources (health clinic records, school attendance register records and local government records), until the end of the project in June 2026.  At that stage, an end line survey will be undertaken to measure progress against the agreed indicators and to assess the project’s overall success in relation to the targets set at the outset.  

Once again, thank you for contributing to the transformation of the Arat Ber community. We are grateful to have successfully provided the Arat Ber community of 3,048 men, women and children with local, clean water access; delivered health education and training to 337 households; and 100 women in Self Help Groups are all now operating a micro-business.  

Their future in changing!

We are delighted to share that your generosity through HOPE UK is currently bringing help and hope to 6,878 people in southern Ethiopia — and, more importantly, laying foundations for a future free from poverty.

As you are aware, at the heart of this transformation is something simple, yet life-changing: clean water. When a community has reliable access to safe water, everything changes — health improves, children can attend school, women gain time to earn an income and families can begin to build a better future for themselves.

Right now, work is progressing on three water and sanitation projects in southern Ethiopia, while HOPE UK has also raised additional funds offline to support a vital livelihoods project. This fourth project will equip 75 low-income, primarily landless households with beehives, training and equipment so they can earn a sustainable income through honey production — a true hand up, not a handout.

Garo Korpha: Clean Water, New Beginnings

The community of Garo Korpha has had access to clean water since September 2025. Today, 2,280 men, women, and children benefit from a local, safe water supply, saving 1.5 to 2 hours every day previously spent collecting water. This is already leading to better health, more time for work and more children attending school regularly.

Arat Ber: Water Plus Opportunity

HOPE began working with the rural community of Arat Ber in July 2025. Just four months later, their new water system was completed, bringing the same life-changing benefits seen in Garo Korpha. In addition, 100 women have received basic business training and have each started an income generating activity. They are now seeing their household incomes begin to rise, strengthening their families’ futures.

Zala Barena: The Next Community on the Journey

This month, work has begun in the smaller community of Zala Barena, home to 1,025 people. Initial community meetings have taken place, materials for the water system are being delivered and local people are already contributing what they can — collecting timber, sand and stones — working side by side with HOPE’s construction team. This shared effort ensures the project is truly owned by the community.

All three of these water projects — as well as the beekeeping livelihoods component of another HOPE project — have been entirely funded by HOPE UK supporters. Thank you.  We are grateful that favourable exchange rates have meant your donations in GBP have gone even further than originally expected in Ethiopia, allowing HOPE UK to fund more projects than before.

Because of people like you, more communities are gaining clean water, more families are learning life-changing skills and more people are being empowered to lift themselves out of poverty. This is not just about meeting today’s needs — it is about building healthy, resilient communities with the skills, confidence and resources to shape their own future.

Thanks for your support.