Fraser Valley runs for clean water in Ethiopia
MCC BC and Run For Water partner with rural communities in Ethiopia
Drill operations underway in Jahana, a community in Ethiopia’s Amahara region. From left to right: Jet Takaoka (MCC British Columbia), Paul Mosley (MCC Ethiopia), Solomon Tefere (MCC Ethiopia), Dean Dahl (Run For Water), Schimeta Kassa (AEID). (Photo courtesy of Dawson Friesen)
Mennonite Central Committee BC is thrilled to have Run for Water partner with us in 2023 to help provide clean water for 15 communities in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia.
MCC BC Advancement Director, Jet Takaoka, and Run For Water Director, Dean Dahl, recently returned from Ethiopia where they met community members and surveyed some of the project sites.
When MCC partners drill a well, community members like these children in Gumdri, Ethiopia gain lifetime access to clean water. (Photo courtesy of Dawson Friesen)
In one of the villages visited, Jahana, community members have pooled savings to begin the development of a water system, comprised of a simple bore hole well and a hand pump. Dahl observed, “The community is determined to do what they can with their limited resources to help themselves. Their determination is absolutely inspiring.”
“The positive impacts of clean water for communities, especially women and children, cannot be overstated,” says Takaoka. “Health, income, physical safety, and social wellbeing all improve dramatically when people are able to get clean water out of a tap.”
This year, Run for Water will host three events in the Fraser Valley, Trail Run For Water - May 27, Run For Water - May 28, and Ride For Water - June 3 to raise funds to help the community of Jahana, Ethiopia drill a well which will serve over 1,000 families in the village and the surrounding area.
MCC BC and Run for Water are excited to support the people of Jahana to ensure the completion of this vital work! Run For Water events this year (Run For Water Trail Race - May 27, Run For Water Road Race - May 28, and Ride For Water - June 3) will help raise the funds needed to complete the water project in Jahana. Hundreds of families will soon have clean water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene for the first time!
These children live in the village of Jahana in Ethiopia where MCC partners are drilling wells to provide access to clean water. (Photo courtesy of Dawson Friesen)
“You are hearing our wish!” says Akalu Bitew, a member of the community who has lived his entire life longing for clean water.
For over 50 years, MCC has collaborated with local partners in Ethiopia – a country where as many as 100 million people cannot access clean water. Run For Water is in its 16th year raising funds alongside Ethiopian communities for water and education projects. Caring and compassionate people from Abbotsford, the Fraser Valley, and beyond have made these projects possible.