Thank you for your generous donations to HOPE's current water project in Markala!
Last month we received an exciting report from the HOPE Ethiopia staff about the commencement of the Markala project.
They reported that construction on the water system is underway, with the spring capping and building of the water reservoir currently taking place. HOPE staff stated that the community’s commitment to support the water system construction is very high. In fact, they have set aside three days to provide their labour to dig trenches, build the four water points and wash basins and the water reservoir. They have offered to help with maintenance on the local road on these days as well. This has proved to be a greater challenge than expected as there has been much damage to that road, making access a repeated problem. As a result, community members have been busy transporting purchased construction materials from that road, when not accessible by truck, to the village. They have also been resourcing materials for the water system that are locally available, e.g stones, sand, timber for fencing, etc. This high level of involvement is building local ownership and sustainability.
The start of the project has also involved many meetings between HOPE staff and the community. Firstly, representatives from the wider community have met to determine the location of the four water points so that they are distributed equally. In addition, Self Help Groups have been formed with 80 female volunteers and they have started to receive capacity-building training, including sessions on saving money, financial management, loan management and ideas for starting one’s own small business. Since the training began, every SHG member has started saving money on a weekly basis and it is expected that after six months, loans will be made from their group savings to fund their new small businesses. Other meetings include those on health, hygiene and sanitation education, as well as waterborne disease prevention and environmental protection. These are currently taking place in focus group meetings, but will continue door-to-door throughout the duration of the 24-month project. Finally, 13 men and 13 women have been elected as members of the Water Association, which is now receiving training to manage the water system on behalf of the community.
These initial construction efforts and communal gatherings for training have provided a positive start to HOPE’s project in Markala. Already, there is evidence of an increased sense of confidence and raised hope for the future. We are grateful for your financial support to help equip this community to become self-reliant and fulfil their desire to be free from a life of chronic poverty.
