In July 2025, HOPE began vital new water, sanitation, livelihoods and environmental protection project to bring life changing clean water, and all its benefits, to a rural community in the Uba Debretsehay district of the Gofa zone in southern Ethiopia.
As with all HOPE projects, this work is built around five proven components of our development approach:
The provision of local clean water
Health, hygiene and sanitation education
Basic entrepreneurial and business training
Training to improve agricultural productivity
Environmental protection
What the project will deliver:
One capped spring, 3.42 km of pipeline, one reservoir, 11 water points, 10 wash basins and 150 pit latrines
Clean water within a 10 minute walk for every village resident
Five trained Water Caretakers, at least two of them women
A 30 member WASH Association to manage the system, half of them women
100% of beneficiaries practising good hygiene by the end of the project
A 30% drop in waterborne disease and eye infections, against baseline
A 20% rise in school attendance
All 100 Self Help Group members saving weekly and running an income generating activity within six months.
Expected outcomes:
Better health across the community, with fewer stomach upsets, cases of diarrhoeal disease and eye infections, meaning fewer trips to health centres
Wider adoption of good hygiene habits, including regular hand washing and cleaner homes, and keeping livestock away from communal areas
Stronger financial skills among women through Self Help Groups, helping them save and build income generating activities
Updated agricultural knowledge, helping households feed their families sustainably and protect their livelihoods
Greater involvement of women in community life, gradually shifting cultural attitudes
The Arat Ber project began in July 2025 and was completed at the end of June 2026.
