Plan Ethiopia Annual Progress Report 2010

A YEAR IN

ETHIOPIA 2010

SUMMARY REPORT

Plan is looking to increase access to clean water in its four program units in Ethiopia

3

GOOD REASONS

OUR PRIORITIES

why Plan works in Ethiopia

in Ethiopia

• A fifth of Ethiopia’s children are underweight when they are born • Over half of children aged 5–14 are engaged in work

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• Only 36 per cent of adults can read and write

ISRAEL

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• Working with families and communities hto Kark eh Euph and sanitation improve healthcare, water supply rates to ensure children grow up healthy IRAQ JORDAN

• Giving children the opportunity ofKUWAIT a quality education

Cairo

SAUDI • Helping ARABIA

families to increase their incomes and find ways to produce more food

LIBYA

• Boosting awareness of children’s rights, such as the right to an education, and ensuring children play a role in their communities

EGYPT

• Helping communities to support children and families affected by HIV/AIDS

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CHAD

Regular community meetings and management of projects are important to their sustainability

ERITREA

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Ethiopia Facts Gondar

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Awassa

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ETHIOPIA Country Office Program Units

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SOMALIA KENYA

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Addis Ababa

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Oromigna are the main languages. English is taught in schools Climate: Elevation and geographic location produce three climatic zones: the cool zone above 2400 meters where temperatures range from near freezing to 16°C; the temperate zone at elevations of 1500 to 2400 meters with temperatures from 16 to 30°C; and the hot zone below 1500 meters with both tropical and arid conditions and daytime

temperatures ranging from 27 to 50°C. The normal rainy season is from mid-June to mid-September (longer in the southern highlands), preceded Chari showers by intermittent CENTRAL from February orREPUBLIC March; AFRICA the remainder of thettoyear is Ko generally dry.

Economy: Ethiopia was the original source Ou of the coffee Mbomou ngu are still bean. Coffeebabeans i Lobathe country’s largest exportUele ye commodity. Ethiopia is also the tenth largest producer of o ng livestock in the world. Other Aruwimi Co Con main export commodities are go khat, gold, leather products, Ruki and oilseeds.

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Capital: Addis Ababa Population: 85.2 million Languages: Amarigna and

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BAHRAIN QATAR

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Focus on: safe water

Less than half of all Ethiopians drink and bathe in clean water. Plan is working with families to bring safe water and better sanitation to their villages. We offer advice, funding and technical support for communities to improve their water systems. We are helping to install better sanitation. We are educating communities

on the importance of good hygiene and have helped children to set up clubs in schools, spreading the word to their friends and families on how better hygiene can protect their health.

Students perform at a school inauguration

Community cooperation means clean water

Kirubel, who lives in northenr Ethiopia, had long suspected the water his community was drinking was unsafe.

‘The spring was located at the middle of the dry river valley where any human and animal waste from the village could easily contaminate the source,’ he explains. ‘Our children were exposed to diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases and the risks were very high.’

Kirubel was right to be worried. He lives in Genete Mariam, a village in Lalibela, one of the poorest areas of Ethiopia. Many families here are among the 40 per cent of the population who live below the poverty line, surviving on less than US$1 a day. Until recently, a clean, safe water system was beyond their reach.

Instead, they used the local spring – drinking the same water as their animals, with all the dangers this held for their children. Kirubel’s worst fears were realised when a six-year-old child died of diarrhoea. Seeing yet another infant succumb to a common illness that clean water and sanitation would have prevented, families knew they had to act.

Community ownership The community in Genete Mariam, and another in nearby Geter Meda agreed to work with Plan on a pilot project to establish a safe water supply in their villages.

The approach, known as Community Managed Water Supply, is based on the premise that water systems are more likely to be used and maintained by communities when they are involved in their planning and construction right from the start.

It has been developed as a response to Plan’s previous way of working on water projects.

Before, we recognised we did not seek enough participation from community members.

Families did not feel responsible for their new water sources, and had little motivation to keep them in good repair.

This time, the villagers in Genete Mariam took charge of the project, agreeing to cover some of the costs of materials, provide labour and commit to maintaining the new water supply in the future. In return, Plan and the district Water Resource Development Office offered funding, advice and technical support.

Produced for Ethiopia by Plan International Australia.

Kirubel played a key role in getting the project up and running. As chairman of the village water and sanitation committee, he helped manage funds, source building materials, transport them to the construction site and supervise the work. He also made sure villagers took part in every stage of the process.

So too did committee member Aberu. She was enthused by a visit to another village, BahirDar, where families have completed their own water project, saying: ‘I was very much inspired when I saw girls and women collect water from a modern water supply system. Children wash their bodies in the shower made by the side of the spring. After I saw that, I promised to do my best to have the same, new water supply and shower for children in my village.’

Successful collaboration Aberu, like the other members of the water and sanitation committee, is charged with keeping the new water source in good working order so children can enjoy its benefits for years to come. The community can call on the water office for technical help, but must commit funds and labour for maintenance and repairs.

At first, not everyone was convinced by this new way of working. Some villagers, like Abel, didn’t believe the community could take on so much responsibility themselves.

‘We thought it was difficult to do by ourselves,’ he says. ‘I was the one who strongly refused the new method.’

The bigger picture Plan is working with children, families and communities to find sustainable solutions to the challenges in Ethiopia. We have only given you a small insight into Plan’s work in Ethiopia with this report but over the past year we also: • Helped communities on water projects that will give 14,958 people access to clean, safe water • Improved the quality of children’s education by supporting communities in building or upgrading 12 schools or education centres • Helped 807 farmers to increase their yields and boost their incomes by offering training in agricultural techniques • Worked to keep children from harm by educating 125 community members and volunteers on child protection issues Your support as a sponsor is crucial to achieving these results. With the resources provided by sponsors, Plan expertise and the collaboration of communities and local partners we are making a big difference to the lives of people in Ethiopia.

Thank you for your involvement!

To learn more about Plan’s work in Ethiopia visit plan.org.au/ourwork/southernafrica/ethiopia

But, after seeing the community pull together to make the project a success, he has changed his mind.

Kirubel is relieved. Thanks to his community’s hard work and Plan’s support, children in the village can look forward to a healthier future.

‘Our girls and boys are safe,’ he says simply.

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.

‘Our children were exposed to diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases and the risks were very high.’

‘Water systems are more likely to be used and maintained by communities when they are involved in their planning and construction right from the start.’