Project Community Update | the impact of COVID-19
The leadership of our partners during this unprecedented pandemic has proven nothing short of extraordinary. The effective and unified actions of our in-country partners are protecting our project regions and saving lives. They are demonstrating the multitude of ways in which trusted leaders can mobilize and protect a community through effective messaging—this influence doesn’t happen […]
In the Nick of Time | water flows in Dima Jeliwan
In early March, about the same time the first case of coronavirus was detected in Ethiopia, Astedu turned on the tap in her side yard and clean water flowed for the first time. Now Astedu and her family are armed with the number one defense against pathogens of all kinds, clean water. All Water1st projects are designed […]
Dima Jeliwan, Ethiopia Update
An update from our Dima Jeliwan, Ethiopia project. Asinakech is over 60 years old. She is more vulnerable to coronavirus. On one of the first days that Ethiopia reported detecting the presence of the virus in the country, the Dima Jeliwan project started pumping water to the first households to connect to the system, including […]
A Record-Setting 2018
A record-setting 2018, with even bigger dreams for 2019. We set several records in 2018, including raising over $3 million—which will provide 35,000 more people with clean water! You made this possible. You walked in record numbers, bought and shared $100,000 in award-winning wine, and raised $1 million in one unforgettable evening. Our youth programs […]
Is Something really better than Nothing?
Something is better than nothing. It’s a phrase that seems logical. How can one disagree with marginal improvement? Unfortunately, doing something can often get in the way of doing the right thing. A perfect case in point is The Latrine. Latrines are a common solution to the problem of managing human waste (poop!) in poor […]
Ethiopia Water Tour 2016
Thank you to the people of Ethiopia―especially our partner Water Action and the communities of Dawo Kara and Dima Jeliwan―for your gracious hospitality. Thank you for the delicious buna (coffee) and injera bread, and for opening your homes and sharing your lives with 31 Americans. We are proud to call you colleagues and friends. It […]
Water1st International & Seattle Reign FC Form Partnership to Reduce Water Access Challenges for World’s Poorest
The Water1st Ethiopia Water Tour departs February 12. Travelers, including Seattle Reign FC players and Water1st Global Fellows, will experience the water crisis firsthand and meet the people and projects we support. Seattle – Water1st International is excited to announce a new partnership with professional women’s soccer team Seattle Reign FC. In addition to announcing the new partnership, Water1st […]
Ethiopia Water Tour: “You have reached me before my time has passed”
A group of Water1st supporters will journey to Ethiopia for our 11th Water Tour. Since our first tour in 2006, 130 people have traveled with us to see our work firsthand. “You have reached me before my time has passed.” Every Water Tour has its defining moment. For the very first Water Tour, that moment unfolded […]
In Mari Tuji’s Own Words: From “Miserable” to “The Best”
In celebration of our 10th Anniversary, we will be sending you a “then and now” story once a month through the end of the year, highlighting the changes that the Water1st community has made possible around the world. We hope you enjoy this look at the impact you’ve had these past 10 years. Mari Tuji—then […]
Local Ethiopian Government Co-Financing of Dawo Kara project
The community of Dawo Kara, Ethiopia continues to make progress on their new water project. Our partner organization, Water Action, and the local government are working together to increase household sanitation conditions. Since the start of the project, 150 pit latrines have been constructed. Now 250 households in the Dawo Kara community have latrines. Another great […]
Ethiopia Water Tour — Bishaan lubuuddha! Water is Life!
As we drove into the community of Gonbisa Kussaye for the ribbon cutting ceremony of their water project, dozens of children greeted us along the roadside, holding signs and chanting, “Bishaan lubuuddha! Water is Life!” Watch it here. Our 2014 Water Tour in Ethiopia was a rich and rewarding experience for the 19 travelers from […]
Why We Like Pipes
[Above photo: The new piped water system in Gonbisa Kusaye, Ethiopia significantly reduces the time women and girls spend collecting water, allowing them to redirect that time to other activities, such as farming, earning an income or going to school] Water1st’s approach is essentially built around answering one question: What does a poor Ethiopian woman […]
100,000 people with clean water!
Thank you for helping us reach this milestone! Together, we have ended the walk for water for 101,000 people. Since 2005, your support has funded a total of 940 projects. So far this year, your gifts have brought clean, convenient water supplies, toilets, and hygiene education to an additional 19,255 people. We thank our dedicated […]
Life is Better for Mari Tuji
Mari Tuji is a young mother from Kelecho Gerbi, Ethiopia. Until last year, she was the first in her household to wake up and get a jump on her main chore for the day – carrying water. She collected water from a contaminated, muddy river that her village also shared with cattle and goats. She […]
See Water Flowing in Tute Kunche!
July 2012 has been a good month for hard-working Ethiopian women. Tiki Gelana became the 2012 Olympic marathon champion and Tirunesh Dibaba won at 10,000 meters. Meanwhile, the women of Tute Kunche started collecting water from their new water project. For the first time in their lives, the people of Tute Kunche can drink clear, […]
Askala, the woman who got sick and joined the committee
[Above: Water 1st staff member, Jennie, hugging Askala in a photo with the water committee.] What makes a person decide to volunteer his or her time to work on a water committee? There are a lot of different reasons, but none is more compelling than that of Askala Tulu. Askala is in her thirties. She […]