CARE's Safe Water for a Healthy Life project is working to increase access to safe water as well as to improve hygiene in poor areas of Yemen.

2008-03-01

2008-06-01

10000

10000

0

During the course of the year-long project, CARE completed the following five training courses in Al-Mawheet: ???? Three women, three men and two systems operators attended a training course about the water supply system and generator. ???? An external qualified consultant gave a training course to six members of the project management team about water supply management. ???? 26 women and 16 men in the community were trained to maintain and operate water filters. ???? Five men and five women were trained to use the DelAgua water testing system, which monitors water turbidity, PH values and bacteria levels. Participants were trained to use the two kits to conduct regular water tests. ???? The water management unit organized an exchange visit to the Addahabisha village, which benefited from a donation from the Blue Planet Run Foundation in 2007. The purpose of the visit was to learn from a village that already had experience in managing and maintaining their water supply. The group also went to Bajil to learn about their water management techniques, as well as their tariff and by-law system, which they later adopted and implemented.

482

CARE has successfully established a water distribution network connecting 42 households in the community and benefiting 482 people. The network has been implemented and financed with support from community members.By the end of May 2008, CARE had rehabilitated the community water supply system, including a well, pump and generator. The system pumps water from the source to the water tanks that supply households. The original well was 20 meters deep, and CARE extended it down three meters further in order to guarantee enough water for 24-hour access. The generator for the water pump was replaced with a new one with the capacity to pump the water more than 150 meters above the pump itself.

0

0

482

In addition to infrastructural improvements, behavioral change strategies in sanitation are very important to ensuring long-term improvements in the health of residents. To promote this change, CARE hired a hygiene specialist who stayed in the community for 10 days and trained residents on safe hygiene practices. Both men and women participated in the training, which consisted of three days of instruction and a week-long clean-up campaign in the village. During the campaign, men, women and children cleaned their homes, collected garbage from public areas and learned about safe water handling, food preparation and other important hygiene practices. Additionally, 70 water filters were distributed and recipients were trained on how to use and maintain them. The community formed a committee for follow-up activities and set a schedule for a two-day clean-up each month. A common fine was agreed upon as a penalty for anyone who did not act in accordance with the new environmental practices.