A water pump can change lives

In 2016, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) set up a water pump that changed the lives of thousands of families in the village of Halobiyo in drought-stricken Ethiopia.

In the past, the women of the village would leave at sunrise to fetch water. Often, they didn’t return until dark. The women told of how they carried the heavy jugs for hours. Several pregnant women even experienced miscarriages.

They also talked about the fear of everything that could happen to them along the way, and about having to spend so much time away from their children. But after NRC set up a water pump in the village, their lives changed completely.

In the village of Halobiyo, permanent residents were living side by side with people who had fled from other parts of the country. The locals shared their food rations with the new arrivals.

Kadra is pleased with the new water pump that NRC has set up in the village of Halobiyo. She says that previously, several women experienced miscarriages because they had to carry heavy water jugs for hours. Photo: Tuva Raanes Bogsnes/NRC

The long walk to find water

“When we came here, the situation was critical,” explained NRC’s Ahmed Ismail. “New people were constantly arriving despite the fact that the village did not have its own water source. People had to walk for hours to find water. This was especially difficult for the girls, who often had to accompany their mothers when they went to fetch water.”

NRC built a traditional water reservoir, also called a “berkad”, where rainwater is collected and filtered before people in the village fill their jugs.

Abdi Seid is grateful that he doesn’t have to spend many hours a day fetching water. Now he can concentrate on his schoolwork, and even has time to play. Photo: Tuva Raanes Bogsnes/NRC

Girls can go back to school

“With this water, people will be able to manage until the next rainy season. And for the girls, this means more of them will be able to return to school,” says Ismail.

A lack of drinking water, washing water and toilets can lead to disease and death. The ability to wash can be vital in preventing the spread of disease. And a water pump can save villagers from having to walk for hours looking for water.