3 months on - a hand pump for Adi Awna Waza

Posted by Sadie - Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The hand dug well and pump was constructed in Adi awna waza with Ecover’s funding earlier this year. The community dug the 10m deep well themselves, with hoes, shovels and metal buckets.
We met Endehefti whilst she was collecting water from the pump. She told us that “we are all benefitting from this” and went on to tell us about the differences to her life since the village had access to protected water. Before, they had to collect their water from the unprotected river, the same place as their cattle were drinking. Tape worm, dysentery and other disease were prevalent.

However, the safe water has brought a lot of change to the village and the health of the community. Endehefti said they can now drink water without any problems, and said “I’m so very happy to see my children healthy”. She showed us her land, which she was currently growing bamboo on. This she would use for weaving, and then the land would be planted with crops. The vegetables will then be sold at market and the money used to improve the lives of her children. Her family also have cattle – 4 cows and 2 oxen. The cattle are fattened and sold at market, and this is a job which her husband is responsible for.

Endehefti has 8 children, 1 of whom is at university. She aims for all her children to go to university, and then to get jobs where they are paid a salary. Another aspiration that she has is that her girls will get married later than she did, and have fewer children than she did. She was younger than 10 when she was promised to her husband, but new laws state that girls must be 18 to marry. She feels that this means her children are free.