Build 2 water wells for 500 villagers in Ethiopia

We are committed to service! Since our last update, we have embarked on new and exciting projects in South Wollo, Amhara region, and Alelitu woreda, Oromia region. We are also in the final stages of completing a two-year project at our sites in Hagrermariam Woreda, Amhara region, and Bursa Woreda, Sidama region. At present, Drop of Water is implementing various WASH (Water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs, which include a variety of activities to engage and educate the local communities. As part of our Community WASH program, we planned to build 200 latrines (100 at each project sites) and exceeded this target by constructing 223, all equipped with hand washing basins.

Our program team and volunteers have also conducted home visits to keep in touch with the community and monitor their progress. In addition to the WASH programs, we have been working on a nutrition program. This program emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet, particularly for pregnant women, infants, and children under five years old, who are more susceptible to illness. One strategy we used was initiating a home gardening program, especially in the Hageremariam area of the Amhara region. We distributed seeds and plant watering basins to encourage households to grow their own food in a cost-effective manner. We have been able to assist over 300 households in cultivating and utilizing produce from their gardens. For our school WASH campaign, we successfully built eight Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) rooms. The rooms complete with basic furniture and sanitary pad supplies. After completion, we conducted sanitation and hygiene training for the school WASH club and girls' club.

As we welcome the Ethiopian New Year, we are prepared to expand our reach, work closely with the community, and serve with dedication. We are extremely grateful to our partners and supporters who provide financial and technical assistance; without them, we wouldn't be able to achieve our goals and reach more communities in need. We are stronger and broader in scope than before. We value each contribution and donation and strive to ensure all donations directly benefit the people we serve.

GlobalGiving has been a steadfast partner in our progress, offering us this platform to highlight our work. We are deeply appreciative of the opportunity and look forward to continued collaboration.

Water is a fundamental human necessity. Everyone has the right to clean water, and we have a responsibility to provide access to those who lack it.

By means of safe water, we give life!

We had an interesting four months since our last report.  We have successfully completed our projects in Afar region and SNNPR region and started on new projects in South Wollo zone of Amhara region in Ethiopia. 

In this quarter, our work was mainly focused on the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs we’ve started to implement in two of our sites, Hageremariam, Amhara region, and Bursa, Sidama region. The programs are focused on the construction of sanitation facilities at the household level and raising awareness regarding improved hygiene and sanitation practices at community and school levels. We emphasize these programs specifically because it is a vital part of making clean and safe water accessible. Sanitation facility construction is necessary to keep human waste segregated from the environment to reduce contamination and the spread of diseases. With the help of the community, we set out to build 200 improved toilets and facilities and we are happy to report that 157 of them have been successfully completed and the rest are under construction.

The other program we are working on is providing a safe space for young girls in school during their menstrual cycles. We chose eight schools and by coordinating with the schools, began building Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) rooms. Two of these rooms are completed and functional and the rest are nearing completion phases. This is an important project because it focuses on girls who were taught menstruation is shameful and how it is taboo to discuss the process, which leads them to be absent from school during this time and have little understanding of how to manage it. This leads to psychological and physical (especially reproductive) health issues. These MHM rooms along with awareness creation events create a platform for girls to help them understand the process and proper hygiene-based management systems. It also boosts their confidence in their bodies and not be ashamed of its natural process.

All the above programs discussed are tremendous successes to DoW. We work tirelessly to help the community in our capacity, building a better future for our children free from obstacles that hinder their successes. 

None of this would be possible without the help of our partners, donors, and contributors, who’ve worked with us, supporting us and bringing us closer to our goal. We are grateful for your support.

As always, we are thankful to GlobalGiving for providing us a stage. You have been with us, understood our motivations, celebrated our achievements, and, supported our reflections. We are so very grateful for your partnership.

Water is a basic need for all human beings. Let us work together to help in this fight.

By means of safe water, we give life!