For years, the elders of Fardano village, Ethiopia appealed to the local government for safe water. As their children grew sick and their backs ached from long, strenuous walks for contaminated water, they nearly lost hope.

But today, Fardano village has their own safe water. They’ve adopted critical sanitation and hygiene habits that save lives, and their lives look completely different.

“Finally, God has seen our tears and given us a solution,” Adanech, a mother and wife in Fardano village said.

Adanech lives in Fardano with her husband, Abraham, and their son. Adanech is expecting another child in the next few months, and she is eagerly preparing for the child’s arrival. She no longer worries about unsafe water.

“We are not worried that disease will attack our child and us because we are freed; we have safe water,” Adanech said. 

Adanech and her husband grew up in Fardano village. They remember battling waterborne illnesses as children. As parents themselves, they know how burdensome medical fees are from constant illness, and they feel as though the possibilities are endless for them now. 

“I am trying to build a new house in the town of Shentewene by the money that we have acquired from coffee sales,” Abraham said. 

He and Adanech farm coffee, and their production has increased significantly since saving time walking for water. Plus, they’re healthier and able to work more.

Adanech looked at her son affectionately as we sat with her. With one hand on her pregnant stomach and another on her son, hope filled her face.

“I am simply satisfied when I look at the new water,” she said.