My name is Meselu Abreham and I’m a mother of five children. My family and I live in the Kechene neighbourhood of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I make a living selling injera (pancakes) and pottery.
Kechene is a slum and home to many of the city’s poorest residents. It’s a vibrant place, but rubbish collects everywhere and water is scarce.
Over the years, I have watched the children of my community become sick and even die because of diarrhoea and parasitic infections.
I worried all the time for the health of my own children. Whenever one of them drank the water we gathered from the dirty spring near our home, I feared the worst. But we had no other choice.
We were exposed to many waterborne diseases. My children missed school very often and I myself spent hours at the local health clinic, sometimes every day. They struggled with their education and I struggled to earn money for my family.
Since AMREF began working with our community in 2007, everything has changed. For the first time ever we have regular access to working toilets, showers, and clean water. Together we have built 17 water stations so far. More are under construction.
AMREF also provides education about handwashing and proper sanitation. Now the children are careful to wash their hands before they eat and after they use the toilet.
Thanks to AMREF and Diageo, my family and my neighbours are rarely sick. I can devote more time to my pottery and injera-selling business and make more money. Even more importantly, my children do not have to miss classes. They say,"I go to school on time, my grades are improving!"
When people ask me whether I think the kiosks will make a difference long into the future, I say that I know they will, because AMREF and our kebele [the smallest local government administration offices] consulted us to make sure they knew what we needed most.
Related: Read more about AMREF's work in Kechene
Photo: Tim Bishop/Diageo