My name is Ardo and I live in Kelafo, Ethiopia. I’m a 40 year-old woman, married and have five children. Life has never been easy here and it is hard to meet the basic necessities of life. The shortage of water for drinking and other basic human needs is one of our greatest challenges.
Women are often in charge of fetching water for our families, so on a daily basis I would travel for at least eight hours return to fetch two jar cans of water (20 litres each). For safety against wild animals, I would travel in a group with other women, leaving home at one o’clock in the morning so as to avoid the scorching midday sun.
Recently ADRA Ethiopia gave me a donkey cart with a good quality 200-litre water barrel. I now fetch enough water once every three days and get lots of time to carry-out other duties both at home and in my village. I can also use the donkey cart for transporting crops and other items from the fields and at times onto the market in Kelafo.
I have also been able to generate an additional income by transporting items for different people at a fee. I have also been able to have a tea shop and make up to 100 Birr ($4.50) each day. This is impacting my life and the life of my family positively. I want to thank ADRA and UNOCHA/HRF for the support.
