Project Overview
The project aims to provide clean drinking water and sanitation for 2,000 school children, clean water for 8,000 villagers, and coffee cupping laboratory facilities for an estimated 3,000 farmers and families. This will significantly improve the lives, health and income potential for an impoverished community in south-east Ethiopia. Additionally, through a 25p donation from every bag of Union Coffee sold, the project continues to improve the lives of the people in Yayu Forest.
Project Stats
Start date: 2019
Status: In progress - anticipated finish September 2019
Community: Yayu Forest
People reached: Estimated 10,000
Delivery Partner: Union Coffee and Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
about Ethiopia
94,100,000 population
58% of rural lack access to water
77% of rural lack access to sanitation
29.6% live below the poverty line
Bringing this additional 60,000L supply of water to Wutate school and village would be transformative for the community.
Higher Quality
Improving coffee quality can significantly improve the price paid to farmers and can make the difference between selling and not selling a farm’s coffee. A key factor in improving coffee quality is the evaluation of quality at the source (where it is grown), and this is undertaken in a cupping laboratory. We built a cupping Lab in Wutate school that will allow the famers to evaluate (‘grade’) their coffee for themselves as well as identify any faults so that their coffee can be improved.
improving health
Installing a water supply to Wutate school would provide the possibility of linking the main supply to Wutate village. Water would be provided via two further water points, supplying 60,000 litres per day. This clean water source significantly reduces risk of water-borne illnesses amongst the school children, as well as the local community.
water for all
Currently the access point of potable water for Wutate village is Shewaber spring, which is not a clean, protected source and lacks sanitation. One additional source constructed by Yayu Woreda Water, Mineral and Energy Office a number of years ago is a hand-pump aquifer that is seasonal and dry in the Ethiopian winter season. Bringing this additional 60,000L supply of water to Wutate school and village would be transformative for the community.
HOW WE DID THIS
As the project remains ongoing in Yayu Forest, along with our delivery partners Union, we continue to provide water and hygiene facilities to the community. This is how we delivered this:
We donated £9,000 towards tanks, pipework, taps and materials which created the literal pipeline between the well and cupping lab.
A solar powered pump was installed, funded through a £15,000 donation by Project Waterfall.
A training centre/ cupping lab was built in the hub of the village and allows farmers to analyse the quality of their product.
Sustainability and education
A local committee has been created to manage the ongoing maintenance of the well equipment and pipe works. The committee is made up of representatives from the water, mineral and energy agency; Kebele (parish) chairman and local representatives of villages. Anyone using the water pays an annual levy to ensure there are further funds to cope with ongoing maintenance.
the future
We look forward to the seeing progress this exciting project continues to make. We are thrilled to be a part of such an important task.
