The drought of 2016 had a drastic effect on Ethiopia. No rain and failing crops have resulted in a massive shortage of food and clean drinking water. Our relief therefore initially focused on distributing food to the people via local childcare centres, schools and hospitals. We then launched our “Water for Life” scheme to develop the water supply in the long term to ensure that even people in isolated parts of the country have access to clean drinking water.
As part of the project deep wells were bored to provide several thousand people and their cattle with clean water. Building of the well close to the village of Mulale in Somaliland was strongly supported by the Margarete Müller-Bull Foundation. Construction began at the end of 2015 and was completed in November 2016. During this period a deep well, pump, generator house, cistern, two water dispensing points and two cattle waterholes were built.
The inhabitants were involved from the first and with the help of the villagers a piping system was completed to bring the water directly to Mulale over a distance of 3 kilometres. The new water source serves 6,300 villagers and around 1,200 people in the surrounding environs. So even during dry periods and droughts the well can provide up to 10,000 people with clean water 24 hours a day. The water supply also benefits agriculture and livestock keeping, thus contributing greatly to securing the livelihood of the inhabitants.