First of all we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for all the development activities you have been carrying out here in Shone district.

Waterborne diseases – like diarrhea, giardiasis, worms, and skin infections – are among the top 10 diseases in our district. Only 34 percent of people overall have clean water to drink. In some areas, there isn't access to clean water at all. Of the 39 schools in Shone, only one has a clean water supply. Of the three health centers, only one of them has safe water.

Every year, some 4 percent of pregnant women miscarry due to walking about 20 km a day in search of potable water. Every year, 26 percent of children drop out of schools as they are forced to spend many hours helping their family fetch water.

In a 2007 report, we found that 11 percent of children under 5 who were treated in health centers were there because of diarrhea. Out of the 903 children who came to the health centers, 89 died due to diarrhea.

Endale, 40, is a mother of three boys and four girls. Her husband died some five years back due to diarrhea. As a result, she became the sole bread-winner of the family. Four of her children have suffered from various waterborne diseases, especially diarrhea. Currently two of her children (Bizunesh Meskelu, 11, and Meselech Meskelu, 9) are sick with the same disease. Bizunesh is so sick that she is obliged to quit her education. Meselech has not yet quit her education, but she keeps missing so many classes. As a result, she performs very low in her schooling.

We remain very thankful to World Vision for its support to help us respond to various health-related challenges. As the majority of our population is exposed to various water-borne diseases due to the shortage of potable water supply, we would like to request for your support to help us reduce the number of people suffering and dying from water-borne diseases.

Let us prevent diarrhea by utilizing safe water!

Aklilu Lodamo Bafena
Misrak Badawacho District Health Office Head
Translator: Aklilu Kassaye

Would you like to respond to this plea for clean water in an Ethiopian community? Your prayers and support can help us changes lives. Act today!