Donations: Please indicate "Ethiopia Drought" in the Memo section of the donation form.

Ethiopia is facing a severe drought. Government and humanitarian agencies are calling for increased assistance to the estimated two million people affected. Dire conditions are projected to persist until the next rainy season arrives in October.

Water is being transported by truck to drought-hit residents and the alert is high for disease outbreaks. A multi-agency national needs assessment will start as soon as possible as the first step in a multi-pronged attempt to prevent mass suffering.

According to the UN News Center, "the recent unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has led to a decline in the demand for livestock exports from Ethiopia, reducing the incomes of the affected communities, according to OCHA. High global food and fuel price rises have raised the cost of buying and importing essential commodities, including food."

Donations: Please indicate "Ethiopia Drought" in the Memo section of the donation form.

Lifewater is contributing to relief efforts by accelerating its work installing safe water systems and repairing existing systems that are damaged.

Current projects include installing hand-dug and shallow wells, capping springs, rehabilitating damaged community water points, and constructing reservoirs at schools.

Lifewater is also working with other humanitarian organizations to identify effective responses to the crisis.

Efforts being considered include mass distribution of water purification kits, food packets, and sanitation resources. As part of every project, Lifewater trains and equips local communities to maintain and repair their safe water systems.

Lifewater has been working in Ethiopia since 2005. Because of Lifewater's work, thousands of people in drought-stricken areas are better prepared for such conditions.While lack of rainfall is reducing water replenishment, all of the systems that Lifewater has installed are functional and most are providing at least some water.

Last year, Lifewater provided safe water to nearly 40,000 people in Ethiopia.

Donations: Please indicate "Ethiopia Drought" in the Memo section of the donation form.

Donations will help Lifewater and its in-country partners respond to the growing drought crisis. Please consider contributing immediately to help Lifewater prevent tragedy by helping as many communities as possible install safe water sources.

Please indicate "Ethiopia Drought" in the comments section of the donation page. Thank you for helping to make a difference in one of the world's neediest regions!

Donations: Please indicate "Ethiopia Drought" in the Memo section of the donation form.

Spring 2012 - Change Makers Continue to Help Their Communities

 Lifewater and the Development and Social Services Commision (DASSC) of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus have been working in Ethiopia together for the past two years. The project area in Ethiopia lies within the drought impacted regions of the lowlands of southern Ethiopia, where water scarcity is life threatening. In the past two years, Lifewater and DASSC have provided safe drinking water to more than 52,000 people and have empowered people with the knowledge of good hygiene and sanitation practices, and encouraged school children to participate as "change makers" in their communities. 

While 52,000 water beneficiaries may sound like a lot, there are still thousands of people living in drought impacted areas who desperately need help. By the end of 2012 Lifewater plans to provide drinking water to approximately 15,000 more people, as well as construct pit latrines in villages while promoting good sanitation and hygiene practices. Lifewater and DASSC also plan to teach hygiene education courses to communities surrounding water points and share the good news of Jesus Christ with communities. By empowering local people to become trainers, a sustainable cycle is created in which trained leaders advocate and mobilize people for WASH learning. Lifewater is deeply grateful to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus for working with Ethiopian communities and for being at the heart of Lifewater's development programs.                        

Fall 2011 - Fighting the Drought  

By Joe Harbison, CEO

 I came to Ethiopia to learn about the water situation. Lifewater International has been working in two of the regions here since 2004 partnerting with the Development and Social Services Commission (DASSC). Although Lifewater's chief concern is the long-term development of poor communities, our projects sometimes intersect with relief situations.

Like most Americans, I have been following reports of the three year drought that has devastated much of the Horn of Africa region. Pastoralists, the nomadic cattle herders of this three country region, can range between 50-85% of the population here.* If seasonal rains fail, so do the pastures that sustain the livestock. Imagine 13 million people in the desert** without adequate supplies for survival and you can imagine a humanitarian catastrophe of biblical proportions.

After a four hour drive to the village of Avansa in Borana Zone, we gathered along the muddy banks of a crude pond. The local head of the village water commitee explained "Before our partnership with Lifewater, this is where we all took our water. People and animals alike drank from this unclean water source! We spent most of our money on doctors' bills for our children and adults who were constantly falling ill." For me personally, it was hard to imagine that in the 21st century, people are still consuming water from this type of unclean source.

Once we were in the epicenter of the Horn of Africa drought, one woman stood up and explained the hardships they had endured. (Watch 'See Women bear the water burden' video) "We women are the most affected by the drought, we are the ones who had to walk 15 kilometers [9.3 miles] carrying 30 liter [8 gallon] jerry cans every day!" The most telling moment for me came when I was attempting to interview Kabele and Sophia, two girls in the household of Godane Abude (Watch interview with Godane, part two). The girls shyly answered my questions about their lifestyle and hopes for the future. But when I asked if there was anything they wanted to tell us they suddenly became animated. "Our cattle have died, we have to plant and do all of the work by ourselves" Kabele said. Her sister Sophia added passionately, "Before we had this water cistern, we could not have food when we returned from school, now we can eat since there is water to prepare food!"  

While we walked through the village and saw the starving children and the dead and dying cattle, a knot began to form within me. Call it compassion, sorrow, or even anger, but it was not pity. You do not pity survivors; you admire them, you want to do all you can to help them help themselves. As we stood around a water cistern that the community had built (watch project manager Ephraim explain how the cistern works), people spoke of constructing a second cistern and asked Lifewater to consider helping them attain the raw materials. For this small community of brave survivors and hundreds of others, I have come back with their request to you. Can you help? 

 

Summer 2011 - Birbirsa's Family Endures Ethiopia Drought

 

"In my life I have never faced such a drought." Birbirsa, a farmer in a rural region of southern Ethiopia, exclaims. "We always know that, every few years, we may not get one of our two annual rainy seasons. But this is totally different. This has lasted for twelve consecutive months!"

Earlier this year, Birbira's crops withered and his cattle died of starvation. His family now depends entirely on food and water aid.

With barely enough water to survive, Birbirsa's children are getting sick repeatedly and will not be able to attend school. According to his wife, "If things continue like this, I am afraid our fate will be the same as that of our cattle. God must intervene."

Lifewater International has worked in Ethiopia since 2002 and has a regional office in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. Lifewater staff are witnessing tremendous suffering in Lifewater's project areas, hearing story

after story from friends like Birbirsa, who simply cannot withstand the drought.

Last year, Lifewater helped approximately 40,000 people in Ethiopia gain safe water and dramatically increase their capacity to tolerate drought. However, few communities - even those with improved water sources - can endure severe drought, which is what is occuring in the Horn of Africa right now.

Lifewater is stepping up its existing water development efforts in Ethiopia and coordinating with partner agences to respond with emergency aid.

Click "The Response" tab see the work that Lifewater is currently doing in the drought-stricken areas.

But the need continues to grow. As Birbirsa, the farmer shared, "We hope to receive food aid and potable water from others who are bearing our sufferings. We don't know how long this will last, but we are praying."

With your help, we can dramatically accelerate our water projects in Ethiopia, helping minimize the suffering of families like Birbirsa's.   

 

Summer 2011 - Drought Worsens

 

Lifewater's East Africa director is dismayed by the worsening drought in southern Ethiopia. He says, "The drought is serious. Millions are affected in the country, and hundreds of thousands are found in our operational areas, mainly Borena and lowlands of Bale zones. The rain started too late and many cattle are being lost." Emergency operations have begun in the region, and Lifewater is assessing the situation to determine if it will amplify its efforts in addition to accelerating the water projects already in place. This depends largely on how much funding comes in for immediate action in Ethiopia. Lifewater and its in-country partners' intimate knowledge of the region and well-established relationships with local communities there provide a solid base for managing large scale projects and relief efforts.

  DROUGHT FAQS

  DROUGHT PRESS RELEASE

  

 

Spring 2011 - Drought Threatens Lives in Southern Ethiopia

 

 

Until early 2011, Fonsho Village’s only water source was a contaminated pond the color of tomato soup. Families spent much of the day collecting this water, so many children were unable to attend school. When Lifewater’s in-country partner began conversing with the people of Fonsho, their greatest desire was to supply water for the local community so that kids could go to school. It was decided that a rain catchment system with a cistern would be the best option.

Learning of the need for water in Fonsho, Salem Lutheran Church in Glendale, California, organized a benefit 100-mile bike ride and raised nearly $7,000. With these funds, a water cistern was installed in Fonsho in the early months of 2011.

At the same time, a drought hit the region hard, and the communities only water source—the contaminated pond—dried up. There was no water within ten miles except the water that was in the cistern. Until today, the people of the region, including those in Fonsho, have been receiving water rations in the cistern from the government and humanitarian organizations.

Work in Fonsho needs to continue. The cistern has saved lives, but the people of Fonsho long for more sources of safe water. In May 2011, Salem Lutheran will continue their relationship with Fonsho by hosting “Mission to Mountain,” with the goal of providing one or two shallow wells for the community.

Join Salem Lutheran in supporting the people in southern Ethiopia who are enduring a severe drought. Just $35 can provide one person with safe water for life. Donate now, and be sure to put “Ethiopia drought” in the comments section of the donation page. 

 

 

Winter 2011 - Steady Progress Being Made

 

We are celebrating several more key accomplishments from this last quarter, including:

 

• Five more hand dug wells in place and three damaged hand pumps rehabilitated in the Adaba woreda of West Arsi Zone.


• A successful sanitation and latrine construction training for our partner and health and education officers of the Ethiopian government. The training equipped them in presenting different latrine design options to their respective communities. The training also included experience sharing among different projects, and the factors that enabled a successful hygiene and sanitation promotion in the rural communities near the town of Hosanna. [Read the success story.]                                  (Click photo for more.)       
  Participants in the training left inspired and equipped with WASH information that could be put into immediate practice to improve their community members' health.


• Community adoption of preventative hygiene practices and safe sanitation methods as evidenced by partner monitoring and mid-project surveys. Local adoption of new habits and knowledge is often the greatest hurdle of any community development WASH project. The success in this quarter is attributed to the Lifewater and partner-organized WASH and water shed management committees maintaining proper use of each water source, school WASH clubs promoting hygiene and proper sanitation to schoolmates and families, and community-wide WASH promotions. Health and wholeness is abounding here because each of these groups have become WASH advocates!

 

Fall 2010 - WASH for Thousands

 

In the previous quarter, Lifewater and its in-country partner completed water and training projects that will provide safe water and improved hygiene and sanitation to local beneficiaries. Some of last quarter’s water project successes include:

• Completion of 5 hand-dug wells for use by over 4,700 people


• Repair of 4 natural spring-fed water points with another six started, providing access to safe water for more than 4,200 people


• Capping of a water source and construction of an 8,000 liter reservoir. According to the project plan, an estimated 654 people would benefit from this. However, at the time the water system was completed, about 4,000 people in neighboring communities faced a critical water shortage due to damage to their well. People in these communities were traveling 18 kilometers round trip to fetch water, but once word of this newly improved spring spread throughout the area, communities negotiated agreements to allow resource sharing. The spring is now serving more than 4,600 people.

Lifewater is also working with a prestigious Ethiopian university to conduct detailed hydro geological surveys of the area in order to determine where to place new water points and what type of water point will work best in that area. Pray that Lifewater obtains the funding needed to conduct these water surveys and that they are useful in helping more people obtain a safe water source!