For the next 3 years, Ecover will be working in partnership with WaterAid to support project work in rural Ethiopia. The projects will give 14,750 people long term solutions to access to safe water and sanitation. We’ll be supporting work in 11 villages in the Hintalo-Wajarat region of Ethiopia, which will be implemented by WaterAid’s local partner The Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Inter Church Aid Commission (EOC/DICAC).

Running throughout the projects are the themes of sustainability and giving the communities ownership of the projects to ensure long term success. By ensuring access to water, sanitation and hygiene education are worked on simultaneously, the projects provide the first steps out of poverty.

Water Supply

• Construction of 4 gravity water supply schemes
• Construction of 5 protected springs,
• Construction of 8 hand dug wells fitted with hand pumps
• Construction of a rain water catchment scheme for a school
• Construction of a rain water catchment scheme for a health centre

Sanitation and hygiene promotion activities

• Construction of traditional pit latrines for 1350 households
• Construction of safe waste disposal pits for 1600 households
• Construction of 2 ventilated improved pit latrines – to enable the community to learn how to improve their own traditional pit latrines.
• 8 ‘sanitation week celebrations’ promoting sanitation and hygienic behaviour
• Hygiene promotion activities reaching 10,000 people
• Hygienic household training sessions for 2000 households
• Production and distribution of 5000 hygiene and sanitation posters

Community Capacity Building and ownership

• Establishing 18 community water and sanitation committees
• Training 36 water technicians to handle day to day maintenance of facilities
• Training 36 community health educators
• Training 2 health extension agents to conduct the day to day monitoring of project activities
• Conducting capacity building training for 4 members of partner staff
• Training 8 junior hygiene and sanitation officers to provide information to communities