Water for Life: South Omo
Ethiopia has one of the lowest rates of access to water and adequate sanitation in the world. Only 22 per cent of the country’s 72 million people have access to safe water and in rural areas the situation is even worse.
South Omo is one of the most isolated regions in Ethiopia. Half of the people are nomadic pastoralists who live off the land. Due to the region’s remoteness and lack of infrastructure few services are available. There is one hospital serving nearly half a million people and a shortage of health care workers. Over 70 per cent of South Omo’s population lives below the poverty line.
In the Malle Wareda district of South Omo water is scarce. Approximately 95 per cent of families have to travel more than 1.5 km to access clean water. Water scarcity is also a vital health concern. Young children in Malle suffer from preventable water-borne diseases such as intestinal worms, eye infections and skin diseases. Diarrhea is the leading cause of death among children below the age of five.
Water is a fundamental determinant of health and in an agro pastoralist community like South Omo, it is also a critical resource to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Water is a source of hope and health – it is the source of life.
AMREF is:
Providing access to safe water and sanitation in the Malle Wareda district of South Omo to improve community health and promote sustainable livelihoods, through the following activities:
- Constructing 5 boreholes, 10 water kiosks and 15 latrines to provide 75,000 people with access to safe water
- Establishing 1 central and 15 village-level water management committees with 129 community members that ensure the proper use and fair distribution of water sources
- Training 88 community health workers to conduct water, hygiene and sanitation education
- Using locally developed health training materials to mitigate the effects of water-borne diseases, particularly among children
- Supporting women’s groups to establish small-business micro-finance activities which are made possible by the availability of water
- Actively involving women in micro-finance activities to reduce the time women and girls spend collecting water. This promotes gender equality and empowers women to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Local farmers will also benefit from improved access to water for their livestock and crop production.
This AMREF project addresses one of Malle community’s greatest needs in achieving good health – water for life.
Major Project Funders:
Lundin for Africa Foundation
Learn more about water borne-diseases and AMREF’s work in;
Kenya
South Africa
Southern Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
