A Walk for Water Should Not Be a Walk into Danger
How the rehabilitation of a shallow well is bringing water, safety, and hope to Gebeta Community
For families in Gebeta Community, located in Adigolo Kebele, Ofla Woreda, getting water once meant starting the day with uncertainty.
For nearly three years, the community’s shallow well had been out of service, leaving approximately 270 households without reliable access to water close to home. Families were forced to look for alternatives, including Hashange Lake, which the community considered unsuitable for drinking.
For women and girls, the challenge was about more than distance. Collecting water could mean spending long hours walking to distant sources, carrying heavy jerrycans and waiting in queues. Some journeys involved isolated routes, exposing women and girls to potential protection risks. The time and physical burden also meant less time for school, household activities, rest, and caring for children.
A broken water point, a community under pressure
Before the rehabilitation, the damaged shallow well was a daily reminder of the community’s water challenges. Families had little choice but to depend on distant or less suitable sources, making access to water a constant concern.
With support from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF), the Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) worked with the community to rehabilitate the shallow well and restore access to water for 270 households. The work also included fencing around the water point to help protect the facility and create a safer environment for those using it.
Today, families can access water closer to home. Children have greater opportunities to wash their hands and bathe, while households can more easily meet their needs for cleaning clothes and maintaining hygiene. For women, girls, and other community members, the restored water point also reduces the need for long journeys to distant sources.
“The morning brings me peace”
For Alganesh Getahun, a mother in the community, the restored water point has changed how her family begins each day.
Alganesh’s experience reflects a wider change for families in Gebeta. Having water closer to home can reduce the daily burden of collection, support household hygiene, and give families more time for school and other essential activities.
From rehabilitation to community ownership
The rehabilitation has also strengthened the community’s role in managing and protecting its water resource.
Sreke Tsehay, Chairperson of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Committee, describes the restored water point as a shared community responsibility.
His words highlight an important principle of sustainable WASH programming: infrastructure alone is not enough. Community participation and ownership are essential to protecting water systems, maintaining their functionality, and ensuring that the benefits continue.
Water that brings more than relief
The rehabilitation of the Gebeta shallow well represents more than the restoration of a water point. For 270 households, it means easier access to water and a reduced daily burden. For mothers, it means less worry about meeting their families’ water needs. For children, it means greater opportunities to maintain hygiene and arrive at school on time. For women and girls, it can mean fewer long journeys to distant water sources.
For the wider community, it represents renewed confidence in their ability to protect and manage a resource that is essential to everyday life.
What was once a damaged water point is once again serving the people who depend on it, demonstrating what can be achieved when humanitarian support is combined with community participation and ownership.
With the support of the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF), MCMDO continues to work with communities to improve access to water, strengthen hygiene, and support safer and more dignified lives.
MCMDO | Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
