South Omo & Clean Water Provision

Opal Foundation and AMREF: overcoming obstacles to provide clean water in Ethiopia
In 2009 the Opal Foundation pledged to support AMREF with a fantastic donation of £25,000. This sum was raised by the outstanding support of Opal employees and students, who did everything from abseiling down buildings to holding African themed parties at the halls!

It was agreed that the money donated would support the construction of a borehole to provide clean water in the South Omo region of Ethiopia. South Omo is a very rough and remote region. Access is very difficult and treacherous, involving a three day drive from the capital Addis Ababa through hilly terrain. Because the region is so remote South Omo is often ignored and does not receive even basic services such as water.

In recent years there has been an urgent demand for water amongst the nomadic people of South Omo, as a drought has dramatically affected water supply. The people of this area rely on water to feed their livestock, which is their main source of food, clothing and shelter (skins).

The construction of water sources in such a remote place as South Omo is immensely challenging and dangerous.  Boreholes are a more reliable and lasting source of water than lakes and other surface water, as they will often last through droughts and dry spells.

Last year however there was a tragic accident in South Omo while trying to construct a borehole.  While moving the heavy drilling machinery up a steep incline, it fell down and killed two men.   As a result of this other borehole contractors have been very reluctant to go to South Omo and undertake drilling there.

The Opal borehole was due to be drilled earlier this year however AMREF encountered real difficulty in finding a contractor to carry out the work, due to the danger involved. This caused severe delays to the project however we did eventually manage to find a contractor who was willing to go to South Omo and start work on the borehole which the Opal Foundation were supporting. 

Drilling started first in the village of Kambobobo. When constructing a borehole, a hydrological survey is done first in order to indicate approximately where the water is to be found and how strong the source. These surveys are not always accurate however and unfortunately, when the Opal borehole was drilled, no water was found. Despite two attempts, the constructors were unable to find water and declared the construction unsuccessful.

This was another major setback and a real blow to the local community, where thousands of people were depending on the precious clean water to sustain themselves and their livestock. However, instead of giving up, AMREF, with Opal’s support, worked out an alternative solution: Opal’s support was used to help fund another borehole in a nearby village called Doiso, and Opal also helped to pay for pipes to take water from Doiso to the village of Guloberendo, just 5 km from the site where the unsuccessful drilling took place.

This has been an ideal solution because more people have benefited from Opal’s support.  The local communities are delighted that now they have clean access to water as they travel along their migratory routes.

AMREF would like to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone at Opal who enabled this work to take place and change so many lives for the better.