For Kandi, a 58-year-old mother of eight living in Dada, Ethiopia, providing water for her family used to mean risking their health.
Every day, Kandi walked 30 minutes to collect water from an unprotected spring, where the water was muddy and shared with animals. The journey was a daily strain, but the true burden was the waterborne illnesses that made her children frequently sick. She constantly worried about illness and the financial strain of unexpected medical costs.
“Before Water for Good arrived, our community faced serious challenges… we depended on contaminated water sources that were far from our homes,” she recalled.
The Foundation of Health
When Water for Good partnered with her community, Kandi and her neighbors received training on hygiene, handwashing, and how to maintain a healthy home environment. With this guidance and her own hard work, she put these lessons into practice right away, building sanitation facilities at her house to protect her family. “Each facility I built helped me change my daily habits… and this made the illnesses reduced,” Kandi explained.
Proximity Brings Dignity
Six months ago, the transformation was solidified when a new shallow well was completed just five minutes from her front door. For Kandi, the impact of local, safe water access was immediate, replacing a long walk with incredible relief.
“After Water for Good started working in our community, everything started to improve… our health got better, our dignity increased, and above all, we saved time and money,” she added.
Investing in a Thriving Future
With her family healthy and her daily workload lifted, Kandi finally has the time and strength to think beyond survival. She now invests her energy into building long-term economic stability for her household.
“Access to safe water reduced my daily workload. This gave me more time and strength to focus on farming and beekeeping,” she explained.
Today, she is actively working to expand her honey production, growing a business that secures a better future for her children.
“I sincerely thank Water for Good and the donors… you have changed my life by bringing safe water, saving my time, and empowering me as a woman”.
