Covenant World Relief provides $40,000 grant

Covenant World Relief, based in Chicago, generously donated $40,000 for the development and implementation of integrated water supply, sanitation, and health-education projects in Ethiopia. Covenant World Relief is an international humanitarian aid arm of the Evangelical Covenant Church, offering relief, rehabilitation, and development to the “poorest of the poor” in our world community. Funds will support the construction of water projects benefiting approximately 2500 people in the rural West Showa zone (Ambo woreda – Oromia region), located three hours west of the capital Addis Ababa. In this region, less than 10% of the population has access to safe water, and even fewer have access to improved sanitation.

"When traveling in Ethiopia, I saw people in a maverick rainstorm gathering water from puddles," said Jim Sundholm, Covenant World Relief Executive Director. "One of the most important things we can do for Ethiopia is assist them in developing clean water supplies."

The funds are being put to use to:

  • Provide year-round access to safe water through the implementation of a community-managed sustainable water supply system and sanitation facilitates.
  • Increase community knowledge and practice of proper hygiene and sanitation.
  • Decrease the prevalence of water and sanitation-related diseases.
  • Establish active community-based organization.
  • Provide training to all community-based organizations to operate and manage their own water and sanitation systems.

Villagers currently walk about two hours daily to obtain water from extremely contaminated springs and rivers which they share with livestock. Children, as well as adults, are frequently ill. Community members are eager to participate in this water project which will reduce the amount of time they spend collecting water and will eliminate the water-borne illnesses that plague them. It will also allow community members more time to participate in food-for-work activities so that their families will not go hungry.

Covenant World Relief has generously donated a total of $90,000 to Water 1st's Ethiopia projects since October 2005. Water 1st and our beneficiary community members extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Covenant World Relief for their generous support of this project and for bringing hope to thousands of men, women, and children.

Learn more about the water and sanitation crisis in Ethiopia and the communities where Water 1st works.