In April 2025 HOPE UK raised funds for a water, sanitation, livelihood skills and environmental protection project in Garo Korpha.
Local landslides increased the urgency of HOPE’s investment in this rural Ethiopian community of 2,280 men, women and children as erosion control measures were needed to protect lives and livelihoods.
The Garo Korpha project included:
- capping one fresh water spring and installing a gravity-fed water system;
- laying 4.2km of pipeline from the capped spring to the village to deliver the clean, protected water;
- building 11 water points & 10 wash basins in accessible locations in the village using locally-sourced materials where possible;
- facilitating the installation of 200 pit latrines;
- training 5 local Water Caretakers to repair and maintain the water system (of whom 5 will be women);
- electing 30 Water Association members to manage the water system (again, 50% will be women);
- providing basic health education on personal hygiene and sanitation to all 2,280 men, women and children in the Garo Korpha community;
- creating 8 self-help groups of 20 women (160 women in total) to learn basic business skills and start to save money, whilst lending money to one another to facilitate small business start-ups, increase family income and female decision-making and leadership in the village;
- providing adapted agricultural training for 193 community farmers and 10 local government officials to improve agricultural productivity;
- facilitating the planting of 1,500 trees for erosion control and the building of a gabion-stone dam to protect lives and livelihoods from landslides and floods.
