We are working with Environmentalists Development Association-Ethiopia (EDA-E) to provide residents of Entoto with sustainable and safe access to clean drinking water.
Entoto is a hillside village near Addis Ababa that is home to just over 2,000 people. It is also the site of Yengus Wuha spring which used to supply the village with water, but has been out of action for decades as a result of soil subsidence.
Waterborne diseases
Without clean water for drinking, washing and hand washing, and by sharing water sources with livestock, Entoto residents – particularly children – are susceptible to waterborne diseases. This stops them going to school and work which affects their education and productivity, and forces people already living in poverty to pay for medical treatment. Women and girls must also travel to find water sources in the forests surrounding Entoto, which makes them vulnerable to harassment and attack.
Sustainable and safe supply
So Halcrow Foundation is working with non-governmental organisation EDA-E to supply the village with a sustainable water source. The project involves several components, including developing the Yengus Wuha Spring, constructing a collecting chamber to store the water, installing a pump, connecting the pump site to an electrical grid, constructing a reservoir with four water points and laying water pipes.
EDA-E will work with the villagers to form a water committee to manage the water supply. Its role will be to resolve disputes and regulate a water pricing and payment scheme in order to fund repairs and maintenance and ensure the project’s sustainability. EDA-E will also train two villagers to repair damaged water points and replace taps.
Reducing sickness and poverty
The project will have a huge impact on the villagers’ quality of life, particularly for women and children. Not only will it reduce health risks associated with drinking unclean water, it will allow people to be more productive and create more jobs. Female villagers will also spend less time collecting water every day, which gives them more opportunity to study or generate greater household income, therefore improving education and reducing poverty.
The benefits of a clean, safe water supply will extend beyond people living in the village. Entoto attracts a large number of visitors every day who seek traditional healing in the local churches, and the high altitude makes the area popular for elite athlete training. A safe, sustainable water supply system would enable local entrepreneurs to open restaurants, cafes and other services aimed at visitors and tourists, further improving life opportunities for people living in Entoto.
