By Diane Weatherup | Development Director
Before Orbis' intervention, within the Konso area almost 60% of the water-pumps were non-functional. Orbis implemented a strategy to repair the non-functional water schemes which involved training community members on how to perform minor repairs on these pumps to ensure they are in working order. This strategy is focused on educating the local community on how to maintain the water schemes and also the importance and value of clean water. In this way, Orbis is working to implement long term, community based solutions to the problem of water hygiene in this area.
A single water scheme could serve a population of up to 100 households. If the scheme is located in a school it can serve more than 1000 students.The average cost of maintenance for each water scheme is about ETB10,000 or €407. If there is sufficient budget the repair of the water pump should not take longer than 2 days, however, if a spare part is required this could take 2-3 days to secure.
One of the best ways to prevent the transmission of trachoma is by encouraging face and hand washing - not easy where water is scarce. Orbis representatives have started to train teachers about facial cleanliness, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation and how to wash hands effectively to prevent the spread of bacteria. In order to train the local community, it is important that water is readily available. Your generous support ensures that these water schemes continue to supply essential clean water to rural communities.
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