Celebrating Ilamu Muja

In January 2008, Water 1st staff and supporters traveled to Ethiopia for a firsthand look at the work of Water 1st and our local partner organization, Water Action, to bring safe, sustainable water supplies to the poor of Ethiopia.

The nine participants had fantastic timing. On their first day of touring project sites in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, they were fortunate to take part in the inauguration ceremonies for the Water 1st Ilamu Muja water project. Of the 3,500 beneficiaries, at least 500 were on hand to celebrate the culmination of 18 months of hard work. At 2:00 p.m. on January 14, water officially began to flow from the ten new taps constructed with funds provided by Water 1st. Speeches, dances, and a huge feast marked the ceremonies.

The next day, our participants met 200 representatives from Bishikiltu. This community has been on the minds and hearts of Water 1st International for more than a year as we have worked to raise funds for this large project serving 4,200 people. On this particular day, Water 1st was finally able to announce that we could fund their water project. The community was overjoyed. “We are reborn today,” said Galana Bayesa, the village headman. “We are poor, but we will do whatever is required to make this project happen.”

The local teacher told us, “Everyone would have been here if the community had known we would be talking about water and receiving this good news. Our children miss school because of the water problem. Now they can go to school.” A representative from the local government said, “Whenever we have problems here, it’s always connected to water. So we are grateful, too, for this project.”

Hearing this announcement had a profound effect on the Water Tour participants. “We feel like our lives will always be connected,” said Linda Vick, one of the travelers.

READ: Reflections on Ethiopia

The adventure continued the next day with a work day. Travelers teamed up with local community members of the Werka Gara project to complete the concrete foundation of one of the tap stands. Motivated by the previous days’ experiences, the group eagerly applied itself to moving rock, mixing cement, and pouring the footing. Witnessing a tangible product at the end of the day was a rewarding conclusion to a moving experience in the rural communities of Oromia, Ethiopia.

Next Ethiopia Water Tour: January 2009

Contact the Water 1st office for more information.

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