Mele Gagula, Ethiopia

The people of Mele Gagula suffer greatly due to a lack of clean water, which presently only 18% of the community have access to.

Most people must travel 3-4 hours to fetch potentially contaminated water from ponds, rivers and unprotected springs. This dirty water leads to sickness, wasted time, missed school and lost hope. It makes it impossible for the majority of the 2,400 people of Mele Gagula to meet their full potential and locks them in a cycle of poverty.

There are 4 nearby springs that will be capped to provide ample water for the daily use of the families in Mele Gagula – enough for the community as it grows in the future. In addition to piping the safe, protected water 6 km to their doorsteps, building 2 water reservoirs, 10 water points, 9 wash basins and 200 pit latrines, HOPE will provide hygiene education so that the community can make daily changes to improve their health. In addition, the project will invest in 240 women, teaching them basic business skills so that they can contribute towards the necessary income for their families.