Water impact report - Winter 2024
An update on MCC water projects
The difference clean water makes
(MCC photo/Paul Mosley)
Your support means a brighter, healthier future for families in northern Ethiopia
Through your generosity, MCC and its local partner, Afro Ethiopia Integrated Development, have successfully drilled four of their 15 planned wells to bring clean, potable water to the surface for families in Makiya, Ethiopia.
For Ato Terefe Abawa, access to clean water is the most serious challenge his community faces in northern Ethiopia.
For years, women and girls in his community — like his wife and three daughters — would collect water from an unprotected river and pond. To reach it, they would trek into the forest for hours. These dangerous journeys put them in harm’s way from animals lurking in the jungle and people physically assaulting them.
Even when they managed to stay safe, the water they collected was riddled with contaminants and bacteria that left his family sick.
The new water tap stand in Ato Terefe’s community is 500 metres from his front door. Today, because of you, this water is safe for his family to collect and safe to drink.
Project fact sheet
Goal: AEID and MCC will build 15 wells in Ethiopia together, bringing clean, safe water to over 16,000 people by 2025.
Progress: Four shallow wells have been constructed and are successfully delivering clean, safe water to 5,621 people in four communities.
Water access: Prior to this project beginning, the average community member was using five litres of water a day. That has increased to 25 litres a day with the establishment of the shallow wells.
Walking for water: Prior to the project, the average walk for water was 1:05 hours (2km). Today, it is 0.62km taking only 20 minutes.
Unique challenges faced so far
War: Security issues for communities, contractors and staff from the conflict between the Ethiopian government defense forces and Amhara Regional state special forces.
Solution: The team keeps a careful eye on security issues and will change the project plan should the need arise.
Inflation: Instability in the region has led to inflation increasing by two digits every month for the past several years. For material like cement and steel — essential components for building wells — the rate of inflation has been even higher.
Solution: AEID is working closely with the government to purchase materials through government channels where prices are lower than current market prices.
Access: This region experiences a notoriously wet rainy season from June to September. During this time, dirt roads become almost impassable, particularly in mountainous regions.
Solution: AEID has adjusted the project timeline to move activities requiring large rigs and equipment using rural roadways to drier seasons.
A global community at work
A community in Nicaragua is united by a shared vision and fueled by your generosity
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| The majority of the families in El Tamarindo, Nicaragua, used to draw their drinking water from hand-drilled wells. Given how shallow these wells are, surface and subsurface contaminants — typically fecal matter from human waste and livestock — often make their way into the water supply. This results in rampant water-borne illness and disease. Through partnership with donors from MCC, San Lucas Nicaragua Foundation has completed building a solar-powered water supply system to provide 40-60 litres of clean, safe water to 95 families in the community, every day. The community’s enthusiastic participation in the water project was as inspiring as it was generous.From every family helping to excavate the trenches for the distribution network’s pipes to a generous community member donating their private land for the community well, the community’s enthusiasm reflects their deep commitment to the project’s completion and long-term viability. |
I thank God and the donor agencies for the support they are providing to the community.
Angelica María Baltodano Mendoza
Resident of El Tamarindo, Nicaragua
Partner spotlight: San Lucas Nicaragua Foundation
San Lucas Nicaragua Foundation works exclusively to address the ever-evolving water shortage in Nicaragua. Working hyper-locally, this partner organization has served 415 families since 2014, improving access to safe water in five communities through the use of solar-powered water systems.
A legacy of generosity
Jonathan and Liana Toews, from Altona, Man., have supported the work of MCC for many years. Recently, they decided to leave MCC a legacy gift in their will on top of their already generous active support.
Learn more about how you can leave MCC a gift in your will here.
We hope that the wealth we have accumulated can contribute to a better world in some way, to be part of something bigger than us because life itself is a gift. We know that this decision looks different for everyone, but for us, we are happy to leave a gift for MCC in our will.
Jonathan and Liana Toews