Clean Water Needed to Transform Mela Gagula

It is just six weeks before HOPE plans to start work in the rural village of Mela Gagula. There are 2,400 people who are desperate to gain access to clean water, just minutes from their homes, to free up time for schooling and pursuring income generating activities, whilst also benefitting from improved health and hygiene. They have observed neighbouring villages work with HOPE to build a water system, capping a nearby spring and digging trenches to pipe in the clean water, to local water and wash points distributed around the village. Local women have seen their neighbours learn new business skills and proudly sell new items at the local market to raise money for their households. They have seen lives improve as a result of HOPE's investment and the residents of Mela Gagula are more than ready to experience the same.

Since September 2016 HOPE UK has been working hard to secure the needed funds to press ahead with the project as planned. In October a couple of HOPE supporters hosted a 'Party with a Purpose' with live music and raised over £1000 for the clean water project in Mela Gagula. In November HOPE ran two 'Evenings of HOPE' to share a powerful 20-minute film about our work (do click here to view it yourselves!) and benefitted from increasing our number of regular, monthly donors. In December we raised over £2000 on craft items that were made and sold by supporters.

In January we were deeply touched to receive confirmation of a personal donation of £50,000 to this project. When asked why they decided to give to a water project in particular, they responded, ‘With water there is a clear need, it is essential. It doesn’t get more basic than water. Similarly, the success of a clean water project is easy to evaluate. Are things positively different? Is the difference tangible? Is it verifiable? Ultimately we want to back people and equip them to have a better life. We knew that by ‘investing’ in this water project, we could change the future for a least 2,400 people and their future generations as well. This project addresses poverty in a way that helps people to change their own circumstances.” The donor continued, "HOPE is a charity my wife and I support for a number of reasons. It is locally run and lean; your money goes to where it makes an impact. It offers a ‘hand up, not a hand out’; the projects only run if the villages proactively ask for them and village inhabitants provide labour (and any materials that are locally available). It is sustainable; there is no complex machinery so the locals can look after it themselves. It is transformative; what value would you place on your child not dying from an easily preventable disease?"

Therefore, along with your donations, these generous efforts move us much closer to our fundraising goal. We are also awaiting news from three Foundations on whether we have been successful in obtaining grants for much of the remaining money needed. Knowing how a water system will change the future of Mela Gagula, we have done what we can to ensure the necessary 'investment' is available so that the work will begin as planned and that a sustainable approach and transformative result will occur.

Thank you for playing your part as well. If you would like to keep up-to-date with our ongoing investment in rural Ethiopia by receiving HOPE's e-newsletters, please email us at admin@hope-international.org.uk.

In the meantime, please spread the news of HOPE's life-changing work with friends and colleagues. They, too, can be a part of helping people help themselves out of poverty!

Links:

• Do watch a stunning 20-minute film about our work in Ethiopia