HOPE Involves Local Communities and Fosters Ownership

By Jeffrey Behr
Japan Executive Director, HOPE International Development Agency

HOPE International Development Agency Japan has implemented several water projects in rural areas of Ethiopia to provide access to clean water and promote sanitation and hygiene practices. Here are some key details about our water projects in Ethiopia.

Since 2010, HOPE Japan has been working in remote, rural areas of southern Ethiopia, focusing on providing health and hygiene education alongside access to clean water. One of our major initiatives has been supplying safe water through grant assistance from the Japanese government (2017–2024). Under this project, community residents have participated in constructing simple water supply systems, enabling them to manage and repair the facilities themselves after installation. The systems deliver water from mountain springs to water stations through gravitational force alone.

A key aspect is involving local communities and fostering ownership. Residents carry out physical work such as road development and transportation of materials. Community health committees selected from locals provide hygiene education, promoting practices like using toilets and handwashing. The projects target extremely remote areas at high altitudes of around 3,000 meters, which lack assistance from other organizations. By entrusting work to residents, HOPE aims to instill a sense of ownership and self-reliance rather than dependency.

Sustainability measures include setting up protective fences around water sources and involving women in water committees after facility installation to increase their social engagement.

HOPE International Development Agency Japan takes a community-driven approach for their water projects in rural Ethiopia, fostering local ownership and self-reliance. Here are some key ways they collaborate with local communities:

• Community Participation in Construction
  Residents actively participate in the physical construction work like road development, transportation of materials, and building simple water supply systems. This hands-on involvement creates a sense of ownership over the facilities.
  
• Community Health Committees
  Local residents are selected to form community health committees that provide hygiene education, promoting practices like using toilets and handwashing. This empowers communities to manage their own health and sanitation. 
  
• Women’s Involvement
  After facility installation, HOPE encourages communities to include women in the water committees. This increases women’s social engagement and decision-making roles.
  
• Sustainable Systems
  The water supply systems utilize gravity to deliver water from mountain springs to water stations, enabling communities to manage and repair the facilities themselves after installation.
  
• Protective Measures
  Initiatives like setting up protective fences around water sources are undertaken with community involvement to ensure long-term sustainability.

The core principle is entrusting work to residents rather than creating dependency. By fostering local participation at every stage, from construction to management, HOPE Japan aims to instill a sense of ownership and self-reliance among the communities.

Our work is also significantly supported by individuals’ generosity. Please consider contributing here: https://en.hope.or.jp/involved/donate