Climate Smart Agriculture

Tawkiw Alebel is 37 years old and a mother of four. She lives in a village called Wuha Midira in Amhara State in Northern Ethiopia. Vita met Tawkiw when she was fetching water for the family from the district’s newly repaired community water point.

Tawkiw Alebel

Tawkiw told us that she used to fetch water from an unprotected water spring further away, usually used for washing clothes and for bathing. Cattle and some wild animals also came to the unprotected spring to drink. “The water wasn’t clean,” explains Tawkiw, “We had to use a lot of wood to boil this water so we could drink it. The children still got sick and had to go to the doctor. It was costing us a lot of money.”

This pump near her home was rehabilitated in July 2020 and Tawkiw can now easily access clean water close to her house. Today the community has no more problems with water borne diseases. “We contribute five birr [about ten cents] a month for maintenance of this pump,” explains Tawkiw, adding that it is managed by a committee of which she is a member.

Vita partnered with Tawkiw and her fellow villagers to repair the water point and will continue to provide training on how to maintain and protect the water pump in order to ensure access into the future.

“I have more time for myself,” says Tawkiw. “The water is clean, so we don’t have to use firewood to boil the water anymore. Life is much better now.”

To support important  programmes across Ethiopia and Eritrea, click here.