When Water Returns, Life Moves Forward
Restoring Access and Easing the Daily Burden in Enticho Town
In Enticho town, in the Central Zone of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, access to safe water had become a daily challenge. For years, damaged water infrastructure left many households relying on distant, unprotected water sources. Women and girls, who often carry the primary responsibility for collecting water, faced the added burden of longer journeys and more time spent securing water for their families. Reliance on untreated water also increased exposure to waterborne diseases.
Through an Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) supported response, MCMDO worked to restore essential water services in Enticho. Between April and September 2026, eight non functional water points were rehabilitated, helping restore access to safe and more reliable water for communities across the town. The work included assessing and prioritising non functional water points, rehabilitation, technical support to local water management committees, and coordination with local water, health and administrative authorities.
The intervention also formed part of broader disease outbreak prevention efforts, helping reduce reliance on unsafe water sources and strengthen the WASH environment in targeted communities.
When Safe Water Comes Closer to Home
The physical transformation is visible in the before and after images of the rehabilitated water points, but the deeper change is reflected in the experiences of the people who depend on them.
For W/ro Hirut Gebresmeskel Gebru, 65, a mother of six and female head of household in Kebele 02, the return of a functioning water point brought relief after years of difficulty accessing safe water. Her family had relied on untreated water from wells and rivers for five to six years. At times, they paid 10 birr for a 20 litre jerrycan and used three to four jerrycans a day, spending 30 to 40 birr daily on untreated water.
For W/ro Tigist Hailu, 39, a mother of four living in Kebele 01, accessing water had also required considerable time, effort and household resources. She recalled travelling between 500 metres and one kilometre and spending around an hour collecting water from wells where water treatment chemicals were unavailable. Her family also had to pay for untreated water.
Alongside the rehabilitated water points, households received essential items including jerrycans, buckets, soap and water treatment chemicals, supporting safer water handling and household hygiene.
A Change Felt Across Enticho
The experiences of Hirut and Tigist offer a human perspective on a broader community level intervention. Across Enticho, restoring eight water points has helped bring safe water closer to households and reduce reliance on unsafe alternative sources. Technical support to local water management committees and coordination with local authorities also helped strengthen community level management of water services.
The significance of this work extends beyond physical infrastructure. Restoring water points can reduce the time and effort families spend searching for water, ease the financial burden associated with purchasing untreated water, and support safer conditions for drinking, cooking, bathing and household hygiene. It also contributes to efforts to prevent waterborne disease outbreaks by strengthening access to safer water within the community.
For Enticho, the rehabilitation of these water points represents more than the return of a service that had been lost. It represents greater certainty in everyday life for families who depend on these sources and a stronger foundation for safer water access within the community.
Supported by the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF), MCMDO’s WASH response in Enticho demonstrates how restoring essential water infrastructure can translate into meaningful, everyday change for families and communities.
