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Jaresso Kuita Kebele’s bright solution for clean drinking water

The water drawing point has four taps to reduce long queues.

It is seething hot as Roba Gabino, aged 25, married and a mother of two children, treks the one-kilometre journey to Jaresso Kuita Kebele borehole. On average, she makes three trips to the water point, and a round trip takes her 30 minutes, if there are no queues at the taps. Her family uses 120 litres a day.

The water is used for cooking, washing children and watering lactating cows that graze at home. However, the 120 litres she fetches is not enough for her family. The insufficient water access has implications on the hygiene of her family. However, it is better to have little water than none.

Gabino exemplifies the transformation brought about by installing a solar system that has replaced a hand-pump at the borehole. “Before, the hand pump was difficult for pregnant women and children because it was so physically demanding. Also, a lot of time was spent in the queue. Currently, the solar-propelled pump enables continuous flow of water. The addition of taps to four has also made it easy for us to draw water,” she says.

The borehole’s hand-pump was replaced by a solar powered pumping system through the partnership between Konso Development Association (KDA) and ForAfrika. The solarisation has brought relief to the water management committee because it now takes a shorter time to fetch water, making it easier to manage the water needs for the community.

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“This borehole is the only source of water for many villages. Those who come from the furthest villages trek for two hours to this borehole. It is, therefore, vital that it stays operational.”

- Meleya Mete, a member of the Jaresso Kuita Kebele borehole committee.

By installing solar panels, KDA and ForAfrika sought to improve reliable and safe water access for more than 2,000 households. The community members pay a small fee for water access. Sanibato Gergito lives with a disability and is a member of the water management committee. “We pay 1 birr (USD 0.006) for 20 litres. This money is used for maintenance of the borehole. Those who cannot afford are allowed to draw water but are given time to pay later. The most vulnerable and poor are given water for free,” he states.

The borehole serves an estimated 2,000 households, approximately 10,000 people in Jaresso Kuita Kebele, based on an average household size of five. They include 3,200 who are primary water collectors who now benefit from reduced fetching time, improved water reliability and practical training on safe household water use.

Also, 2,600 men from the community benefit from improved water availability for domestic use as they participate in water point management and maintenance. Additionally, 4,200 girls and boys benefit from safer drinking water, reduced exposure to waterborne diseases and improved time availability for school because they now have a closer and a more reliable water source. Previously, they would support their families in fetching water as part of their daily chores.

Roba Gabino, a beneficiary of the water project enjoys a cup of water at her home.

Abebech Guyola is the treasurer of the Jaresso Kuita Water Committee. According to her, the committee has the capacity to manage the water facility effectively. “The government and its partners trained us in our roles as committee members as well as in how to manage basic repairs. We are clear about our roles and responsibilities. We have been working closely with the government department responsible for water to ensure a reliable supply to the borehole users,” she states. The committee is responsible for the day-to-day operation, basic repairs and record-keeping. 

Community-level coaching sessions delivered on safe water handling, storage and routine maintenance have enhanced the local management capacity, enabling the community to manage the system with reduced external support. 

Basic repairs are carried out by the water committee members to ensure uninterrupted water supply.

Guyola Borale is also a member of the committee. “The water is enough, but we lack sufficient storage tanks. We only have a 5,000- litre tank which cannot store enough water,” he says. As a result, there are long queues at the water point. On average, it takes 30 minutes to fetch the water due to the queues. These queues can be lessened with additional storage tanks,” he states.

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© 2026 | For Afrika to Thrive (Registration Number: 2010/025117/10) is a multi-national public charity with a global reach. We have affiliate offices in:
• South Africa (ForAfrika South Africa NPC, Registration Number: 1983/011022/08, NPO Number: 052-455-NPO, PBO Number: 130000144)
• United Kingdom (ForAfrika UK, England and Wales Registered Charity Number: 1050992, Scotland: SC043643)
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