Inauguration of a Water Pump for 10,300 Inhabitants in Ethiopia
In the rural area of Korke Adi, in the Rift Valley in Ethiopia, the Community of St. Paul has been working for two years with women’s savings groups (that is, groups comprised of around 25 women each, who meet every two weeks to combine their savings, which will serve as a social fund to cover imminent needs as well as to establish small businesses).
A while ago, women from these groups and their families asked the Community of St. Paul to help them extend for 8 kilometers the existing water lines from the city of Meki until their village. They complained that there was a high fluoride concentration in the underground water that they were using, and that it gravely affected their health. The solution they proposed was to dig an 8 kilometer ditch and install pipes so that water now serving Meki could reach Korke Adi. We accepted the challenge.
At three different points in Korke Adi, pumps were built and elevated tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 liters, were erected. In each location, they established a water committee in charge of distribution and maintenance of the pumps and tanks, as well as collection of a fee for water consumption. The fee is indispensable because it allows the project to remain sustainable.
Recently, the three fountains were inaugurated: there was a big feast to celebrate the event, with the presence of the Bishop of Meki, the local authorities, and the entire Korke Adi population. Thanks to this project, the 10.328 inhabitants of the area now have access to drinking water.
