Community visit to Dibate, Benshangul-Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia
By Helen Fytche, Former Program Director, WaterCan

I felt as though I was approaching an oasis in a desert when I visited the community of Gerz at their protected spring in Debati “woreda” (district) of Ethiopia in late May, 2001. A cool calmness surrounded the immaculate spring, which was shaded by trees heavy with green foliage. Women and children were busy that morning, collecting water in their calabashes and urns from this valuable addition to their community.

The Gerz spring protection was constructed in 2000, as part of a larger three-year water supply and sanitation program, which began in September, 1999 and continues to September, 2002. This program calls for the construction of 13 shallow wells and 17 protected springs that will provide potable water to 32,250 beneficiaries. The targeted area is 550 km. northwest of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city. Access to safe water and sanitation is lower here than the national average of 17 per cent, and rural households must depend on rivers, ponds, hand-dug wells and natural springs.

Within Debati, there are 50,000 people, 3 government clinics, 17 schools, one health clinic and one all-weather road. Until WaterCan became involved, there were no protected water points or safe shallow wells. There are, on average, 6 people per household. The major diseases are malaria and intestinal, both water related. The need for clean water is great, and I spoke to many mothers who had lost children due to infections from unsafe water. Being a new mother myself, this brought tears to my eyes to think that by sheer luck of geography, I had been born in Canada, a country where I can provide safe water and access medical attention for my precious baby. It was unjust that these women had to face the pain of losing their babies to preventable infections and disease because of the lack of clean water.

The ethnic composition of the woreda comprises the Gumuz, Amhara, Oromo, Shinasha and Agew. The Gumuz were the original inhabitants of this area. The other ethnic groups were relocated to this region during the famine of 1985.

The protected spring in Gerz serves 73 households from two villages. I met Desse Emer, a woman of about 40 years who was collecting water when I visited. Mrs. Emer and her daughter fetch water from this water point every day. Mrs. Emer, a widow, has 5 children. She owns a small plot of land, but she does not have anyone to plow her land, as her eldest, a boy of 18, is required to work for another farmer, and her second eldest, 15, is a girl. She therefore rents her land to another farmer. She was anxious to tell me that she had seen an improvement in the water quality since the water point was constructed.

“The water used to be muddy and unclean, but now it is like boiled water. There is much improvement in my family's and my own health. Now, we do not suffer from vomiting or diarrhea after we drink the water. Our domestic sanitation practices have improved, too,” said Mrs. Emer.

She is satisfied with the posted water collection times, which fit into her schedule. The scheduled water collection time for Gerz community members is 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The community alternates the job of water point guard, usually between a few men. If the man of a family is not available, his wife will perform his guard duties. The guard is responsible for opening and closing the water point.

The chairperson of the water committee is Mr. Ato Tesseme, 35, who is married with 4 children. His eldest is 10 years old and goes to school away from the village. Ato told me that the community set a user fee of 50 cents per month. 73 households pay the user fee, and there are none refusing to pay.

The water committee is well prepared if it should happen that a water user refuses to pay. The committee will first attempt to educate that person. If this does not work, the committee has community bylaws in place to enforce the rules. The water committee attended a three-day water usage and sanitation training session, which prepared them to plan and manage their water point effectively.

“The work so far has been successful, as women used to spend 7 to 8 hours waiting to collect water. Now, with the protected spring, it is serving 73 people in 3 to 4 hours. There has also been a reduction in water-related health problems. I attribute this to the good effect of the protected water point,” Mr. Tesseme stated.

The many communities I visited were extremely grateful to the donors in Canada who had shown their support by investing in their communities. But the communities have told me that they need more support. The water points we are now funding do not satisfy the needs in this remote area, and it is estimated that 100 more water points would truly address the needs of the communities of Debati.

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