WaterAid Ethiopia

WaterAid is an International Non-Governmental Organisation established in 1981 with its mission to overcome poverty by enabling the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. With its vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water WaterAid currently  operates in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific region and Central America benefiting over 19 million people so far.

WaterAid commenced work in Ethiopia in 1983 by funding small projects through the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. It established a country office in 1991 and three sub-offices in Benishangul Gumuz(BG), Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Regions in 2004, 2005 and 2007 respectively. Following its strategic shift when developing its country strategy (2011-2016), WaterAid moved out of direct implementation and closed the three sub offices – Konso and Ticho in 2012 and Benishangul in 2013 and now works through implementing partners only.

WaterAid’s strategic approach is addressing not only the basic needs of communities, but also tackling root causes of the problems for effective and sustainable changes. WaterAid supports projects that focus on: the integration of water supply, sanitation and hygiene education, community management and empowerment, use of technologies appropriate to local conditions – affordable and easy to maintain, linkage with governments, cross-cutting issues such as gender, HIV/AIDS and social accountability, and 100% sanitation coverage approach. WaterAid also encourages innovation, learning and documentation to improve the impact and sustainability of interventions, as well as promoting greater advocacy capacity through partnership and alliances.

WaterAid Ethiopia currently provides funding and technical support to implementing local non-governmental organisations. WaterAid Ethiopia also works directly on capacity building and policy dialogue with a number of woreda and regional governments, along with the federal ministries of water and health.

WaterAid currently provides funding and technical support to 14 local NGOs, 3 networks and 1 university working in rural and urban areas in 5 out of the 11 Regions (including Addis Ababa), 15 zones, 21 woredas, 91 kebles. WaterAid also works directly on capacity building and policy dialogue with a number of Wereda and Regional governments, as well as with the Federal Ministries of Water and Health. Finally WaterAid is centrally involved in national coordination forums such Water and Sanitation Forum (WSF) and WASH Ethiopia Movement.