More Than a Hygiene Kit: How Afera Reclaimed Dignity and Confidence
For Afera Messele, caring for her five daughters means carrying the responsibilities of an entire household on her shoulders.
A widow living in Maimado Village, Selam Bikalsi Kebele, Ofla Woreda, Afera supports her family through a small local business selling Korofee, a traditional local drink. Like many families in her community, she faced challenges in maintaining good hygiene and sanitation practices and had limited access to essential hygiene materials.
That began to change with support from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF).
Through the EHF supported WASH response implemented by the Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) in Ofla Woreda, Afera received hygiene and sanitation awareness and a WASH non food item (NFI) kit.
The support was about more than receiving hygiene supplies. Through awareness sessions, Afera learned practical measures to protect her family’s health and wellbeing, including the importance of handwashing at critical times, proper latrine use, personal hygiene, and protecting the quality of household water.
Her hygiene materials, which had previously become old and worn, were replaced with a new WASH NFI kit.
“Now I am confident.”
For Afera, the change is both practical and personal.
She says the support has helped her family maintain better hygiene and has given her greater confidence in caring for her children. She describes feeling relieved from the anxiety she previously experienced and is proud of the changes she has made in her household.
Afera now hopes to become a model for good hygiene practices in her village, sharing what she has learned with others.
Her story is a reminder that humanitarian support is not only about providing essential items. It is also about restoring dignity, strengthening knowledge, and giving families the confidence and means to protect their wellbeing.
From essential supplies to lasting practices
With support from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund, MCMDO continues to deliver lifesaving WASH assistance to communities affected by humanitarian needs in the project areas.
For Afera and her daughters, that support has meant having the knowledge, materials, and confidence to practice better hygiene every day.
