Due to frequent drought and natural calamities, the area of Meskel Got in the Meket wordea (an administrative division of Ethiopia) of the Amhara region is one of the most drought-prone and food insecure woredas in the Amhara region.
In addition, the recent internal conflict between the neighboring region of Tigray armed group and the federal government has caused a severe humanitarian crisis in Meket and surrounding areas, resulting in the destruction of major social infrastructure including water collection sites.
“Damage and destruction of this basic and essential social infrastructure deprived access to clean potable water,” says the managing director.
At the Awunt Primary School there are 1,300 students, and 1,000 additional individuals living in the surrounding community, who are in desperate need of a reliable source of clean water and that’s why we at Bread and Water for Africa® are working to address this critical, and life-threatening, need.
The school’s current water source (if you can call it that) is unreliable and the water quality is also a major concern with most samples showing contamination because of the damage it has sustained, along with inadequate protection.
The lack of a clean water supply is a major problem facing the school community, the managing director told us.
“Given the present COVID-19 pandemic, lack of access to clean potable water and poor hygiene practices puts rural students and the general community at a greater risk,” he said.
The managing director has been scouting locations for a 100-foot deep well near the school where the estimated water yield is about one-half gallon per second, which is more than sufficient to install a hand pump and to provide clean water for all the students those residing in the nearby community.
It is very sad for us to know that there are children living with the strife of war nearby who have to take a chance on suffering severe illness, or even death, from drinking water that is likely contaminated with waterborne diseases and parasites.
In 2021, we were able to complete 42 water projects in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda benefitting more than 150,000 rural villagers, and this year – today – we are doing all we can, thanks to the help of our generous supporters, to provide clean water to thousands more.
