In Ethiopia, 45-year-old coffee farmer Mamo and his family are living proof of the transformative power of access to safe water. For generations, his family relied on a nearby swamp for water—water that teemed with disease and often left them sick. In the days before clean water, Mamo’s wife, Sisay, had to walk long distances to retrieve it. “It was exhausting and took time away from caring for my children and working on our farm. The water was dirty, and we had to boil it to make it safe to drink.”
When Water for Good brought their WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) program to their village, everything changed for the family. The program not only provided access to clean water but also empowered the family and their community by showing them how to build latrines and implement sanitation and hygiene practices.
“We used to bathe by the riverside, exposed to passersby and animals,” Mamo recalls. “Women and girls were at constant risk of violence. If someone came by while we were bathing, we would run to hide, often without clothes. Those days were terrible. Our lifestyle changed after Water for Good came into our village. We built a modern latrine and bathroom after the training. Now, my family and I take showers with dignity.”
Sisay says the training brought broader changes to their house, too. “After the training, we built a drying rack for our kitchen equipment and now keep our compound clean. There are no more flies, no bad smells, and my children are healthier and happier.”
With clean water, Mamo’s coffee business also transformed. Previously, he could not wash his coffee beans—a critical process that determines the quality of the coffee and its eligibility for export. Unwashed coffee is cheaper, so it left Mamo’s family struggling financially. But with clean water, his family’s coffee business felt an immediate impact. With access to safe water near their home, Mamo’s family began washing coffee beans properly, their product’s quality improved and they began competing with other businesses beyond their community.
With safe water just steps away from their home, Mamo and his family live a new life—their physical burden has eased, they no longer worry about WASH-related diseases, their children are thriving, and their business is growing. Their family’s story shows the boundless potential that comes with access to safe water in communities that need it most.
