Bringing Water and Hope to the Mountaintop

The township of Ayaber, in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia, is about as isolated as it gets. Ayaber is almost two miles above sea level and a two-hour hazardous walk down from the nearest road. Visitors to Ayaber are so uncommon, inhabitants like Dabash Tafesse, a 65-year-old mother of eight, had begun to believe that they had been forgotten by the outside world.

In truth, I used to think that we had been forgotten by God himself. You can see how we are surrounded by rugged mountains. There are no roads, no health posts, no electricity and no telephone. Dabash Tafesse

When Glimmer partners came to this village talking about providing clean water, Dabash did not believe them. Never having had a reliable source of water, the Ayaber people traversed the mountains for hours a day as a matter of survival. And often the water collected was contaminated.

Glimmer asked for the villagers' help transporting all the materials from the road down the long, rugged path to the village. Eager to end their water challenges, the villagers agreed. Some used donkeys, but most made the treacherous descent with their shoulders loaded high. Slowed by the time to transport materials up and down the mountain, it took four months to complete the two water projects - almost twice as long as it normally takes.

Today, Ayaber has two spring protection developments producing enough safe, accessible water for more than 1,000 people throughout the area.

They even elected me to be a member of the water committee," she said, beaming with pride. "I help make sure everyone in the village will always have enough clean water to drink. It's a very important job. Dabash Tafesse