While Project Waterfall’s involvement in this project has now come to an end, we’re proud to share an update from our delivery partner WaterAid on the lasting impact your support has made.
Berbere is a coffee-growing district in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, nestled at the foot of the Bale Mountains, around 500km from Addis Ababa. Like many rural communities in Ethiopia, Berbere is feeling the effects of the climate crisis firsthand. Unpredictable rainfall, deforestation, and increasingly severe floods and droughts are making life harder for the people who live and farm here, many of whom already face huge challenges when it comes to accessing clean water and sanitation.
In fact, Berbere has been identified by the Ethiopian government as one of the top priority areas for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support, and thanks to you, we’ve been able to help.
Over the past three years, working alongside our partner WaterAid, local government, and the community itself, this project has delivered real, lasting change, bringing climate-resilient WASH solutions to thousands of people across the region.
Here’s what’s been achieved so far…
💧 Clean water, close to home
For the first time, 23,137 people now have access to clean water through 12 new community water points.
This includes:
1,677 students across three schools
12,073 patients and staff in two healthcare centres
A brand-new solar-powered pumping system providing a sustainable and reliable source of water
🧼 Promoting good hygiene
Access to water is just the start — changing behaviours and raising awareness is key to improving health and wellbeing.
13,641 people have taken part in hygiene education sessions
167 mothers have received targeted hygiene training to help protect maternal and infant health
4 new sanitation businesses have been set up, and 16 people have been trained in toilet slab production, creating jobs and promoting better sanitation across the district
🛠️ Building long-term resilience
To make sure this progress lasts, we’ve supported the community to take ownership of water resources and plan for the future.
A watershed management plan has been developed for the whole district
A new data and information management system has been set up in Haro Dumal town to help with long-term WASH planning
⚖️ Supporting local leadership
Training and local governance are vital to keeping these systems running well into the future.
38 people, including water user association members, utility staff and local officials, have been trained in managing water systems, overseeing finances, and taking care of infrastructure
📢 Sharing what we’ve learned
This project isn’t just about local impact, it’s about sharing knowledge and influencing broader change.
Three policy briefing notes have been developed to help inform future WASH projects
A policy dialogue forum was held to encourage collaboration and learning between key stakeholders
In her own words: Meet Asrat
Asrat Areda is a shop owner and mother of three living in Haro Dumal town. Thanks to this project, her family now has clean water just outside their home.
“Having clean water near our house means everything to me. When I was my children's age, we used to collect water from a river. But now, my children won't do that. They won’t be going to the river to collect water. This makes me really happy. This is what every parent wants to see — their children living a better life.
“Now we have a public tap right in front of our compound. We don't waste time going to the river anymore. We use the water to keep clean and take a bath. The water is clean, and we use it without hesitation. It’s been over a month since we started collecting water from the new tap.”
Thank you
This progress simply wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Together, we’ve helped lay the foundations for healthier, more resilient coffee-growing communities in Berbere, communities that can face the future with strength, dignity, and hope.
From all of us at Project Waterfall: thank you.