Changing the future with clean water

Access to safe, local water does more than improve health and reduce the burden of collecting water. It also gives women valuable time to pursue income-generating activities and contribute more fully to their families’ financial wellbeing. Through HOPE’s integrated community development work, women in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are gaining basic business skills and access to small loans, enabling them to take on new and transformational roles within their families and communities.

Siraye, a mother of four from the Arat Ber community, is one of these women. Siraye was never given the opportunity to attend school. Instead, her parents expected her to remain at home doing household chores. While still very young, she was also married to a man she barely knew, following her family’s decision.

Like many women in Arat Ber, Siraye had spent her adult life as a housewife. She was determined to contribute to her family’s income and knew she had the energy and ability to run a small business. However, without the knowledge and skills needed to start a business, and with little access to finance, she had few opportunities to turn her ambitions into reality.

This began to change when HOPE started its integrated community development project in Arat Ber in July 2025. Siraye joined a Self-Help Group, an opportunity she welcomed wholeheartedly:

“I didn’t hesitate when they asked me to join the self-help group together with other women in our locality. I had been waiting for an opportunity like this.”

Through her SHG, Siraye was able to access a loan of ETB 4,000, which she used to start a small retail business selling everyday essentials such as onions, garlic, salt, oil and spices that are not readily available in the local market.

Her business is now generating a profit, enabling Siraye to contribute to her household expenses and support her children’s education. She has ambitions to expand her business and eventually sell her products in larger town markets.

Siraye’s story illustrates how HOPE’s integrated approach can create opportunities that extend far beyond access to clean water. By reducing the time women spend collecting water and combining this with business training, self-help groups and access to finance, women like Siraye are gaining the confidence, skills and resources to build more secure futures for themselves and their families.

For Siraye, the opportunity to earn an income is helping her children move towards a more independent future — and demonstrating the transformational potential of investing in women and their communities.

Links:

• HOPE UK