AMREF and the Opal Foundation: Working to provide clean water and improve the life chances of children in Ethiopia
The Opal Foundation is a charity founded by the Opal Property Group, the UK's largest private provider of student accomodation. The Foundation aims to channel the energies of Opal staff, partners and customers into supporting or becoming engaged in a range of charities, through the Foundation, which directly benefit children around the world.
Background to the partnership
In 2008, the Opal Foundation decided to support charitable projects in Africa as well as in the UK. After building a school and some housing in the city of Dessie, Ethiopia, the Foundation realised the need to partner with a reputable NGO who understood local communities and was not afraid to work in remote and challenged areas. 
AMREF proposed that the Foundation support a project to provide clean water for a pastoralist village in South Omo, Ethiopia. The Opal Foundation staff and students raised an incredible £25,000 within one year, by running races, riding bikes, holding African-themed parties and even abseiling down buildings!
"The Opal Foundation chose AMREF because AMREF has a proven record of working at the margins of African society. Also as an African based charity the Foundation felt that AMREF would be more aware of African needs and able to make the most of funding. Low administrative costs were also a factor." Andrew Yates, Strategic Support Manager, Opal Foundation
Update - Autumn 2011
Since 2
010, the Opal Foundation has been raising money to fund the provision of clean water and sanitation in Kechene slum, Addis Ababa. A packed year of fundraising activities, including the Three Peaks Challenge and a London to Paris bike ride, culminated in a fabulous all-African fundraising dinner. Toy bathroom facilities were auctioned to raise money for life-sized equivalents in Kechene, and at the end of the evening, Stuart Wall, CEO of the Opal Group presented AMREF with a cheque for £40,000!
PROJECT IN FOCUS: Improving access to clean water and sanitation in Kechene, Ethiopia
Kechene slum in Addis Ababa has high levels of poverty, poor housing and illiteracy. Just 15% have access to clean drinking water and significantly less people have access to sanitation meaning often extremely unhygienic and squalid living conditions. This leads to the spread of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea – one of the leading causes of death in children. With good sanitation and consistent access to healthy drinking water these conditions are easily preventable.
The project supported by the Opal Foundation will constuct two water points and three sanitation kiosks, which will directly benefit approximately 5,520 people.The project will also benefit approximately 9,000 residents of Kechene through training, sensitization, and educational resources through the water and sanitation committees.