Project on the improvement of water supply in Ethiopia soon to be finished

15.02.2018 - 17:22 - Ethiopia
Deme and the other farmers are just preparing the cropland for the cultivation of vegetables when arche noVa workers Giovanna Fortuni and Stefanie Knörr pay the project a visit. The 22-year old interrupts his work and shows the guests around. They are proud here of what they achieved during the past months, after an irrigation system by arche noVa and our local partner organisation Sunarma (Sustainable Natural Resource Management Association) had been installed.

By the sale of onions, carrots, beetroot, lenses and potatoes Deme and 13 other farmers were able to save 65.000 birr (equaling around 2000 euro) for the group during the past months. 15.000 birr they directly reinvested into seeds, fertiliser and fuel for the watering pump.

Bäuerin verlegt gemeinsam mit anderen einen Bewässerungsschlauch
Deme and the other farmers of Ingoy Godorma can water more than five hectares of land with the new irrigation system. A committee consisting of five people is responsible for maintenance and care and decides how the watering plant is used.
Axel Fassio/arche noVa

For the farmers in Ingoye Godorma the watering system is a big relief, financially as physically, because now they don’t need to rent a pump for much money nor fetch their water with buckets from the nearest river and carry it to their fields.

Before the well was built the animals, like dogs, donkeys and cattle would drink the water from the nearby river as well as the people. The quality of the water was very bad. Now with the new well they have safe water thanks to SUNARMA and arche noVa.

Almaz, farmer from Gora, district of Jidda

Ingoye Godorma is one of 23 villages in the districts of Wuchale and Jidda, where arche noVa and Sunarma have introduced measures during the past years to improve the water supply and nutritional situation of the people. Next to irrigation systems, wells were built as well as troughs for cattle and spring catchments. For the improvement of the hygiene situation additionally community latrines and hand washing facilities were constructed. New established and trained water committees are now going to keep an eye on the correct functioning of the systems and levy slight fees to be able to repair the installation if necessary. The final touches on the systems will be made until the end of February, then the beneficiaries eventually will take ownership.

Gallery: WASH measures in the districts of Wuchale and Jidda

Frau füllt Wasser einer Seilpumpe in Gießkanne ab
Such a simple rope and washer pump can provide water for up to five families. The 14-member family of Nigusu Tagela from the village of Lemo profits from it too as they are cultivating their hectare of land with it. Before, they had to fetch their water from a source which consumed much time and strength.  
Axel Fassio/arche noVa
Frau wäscht Wäsche an einem gemauerten Waschbecken. Daneben ein eingezäunter Brunnen.
The washing basins in vecinity to the wells shorten the distances that have to be traveled for this work. Because of the spacial separation of those two topics water supply and laundry, the hygiene circumstances at the wells are improved.  
Axel Fassio/arche noVa
Eine Menschengruppe steht im Kreis, die Hände aufeinander gelegt.
Achieving more together: regional coordinator Giovanna Fortuni and desk officer Stefanie Knörr during their visit in Siso, where one of 16 wells was built last year.
Axel Fassio/arche noVa
Nutzvieh an eine Viehtränke. Daneben drei Kinder, die in die Kamera schauen.
Cattle watering troughs like this in Fiche pay an important contribution for improving the health of the people. Often the water sources are polluted by the animals, but when the wells are fenced and special cattle watering tanks are built this danger is lowered significantly.   ​
Axel Fassio/arche noVa

Already since 2013 arche noVa is cooperating with the local organisation Sunarma in the two districts of the Oromia region. The living circumstances in the area are harsh, the flora on the high plateau at 2000 meters is meager. Though the metropolis Addis Abeba is only 80 kilometers to the south, a huge part of the villages is nearly isolated. There are a few roads, moving forward is only possible with off-road vehicles and even this only outside of the rain- and farming season.

Find further information about the project here.

 

 

 

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