Central Highlands Foundation Inc

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world.  85% of the nation's 80 million people live on less than $300 a year.  Sixty five percent of all citizens in the country do not have access to clean water.  This results in an infant mortality rate 8 times that of the United States and an estimated 250,000 children die each year from water borne diseases. 

Ethiopia has more than abundant water resources, however, its quality, access and distribution is woefully inadequate.  As in many African countries, the job of collecting water primarily falls to women and young girls.  Very often they must travel up to 3 or 4 miles to the nearest stream or water source to get their daily supply.  This results in a lack of otherwise productive effort or in the case of children, an inability to attend school.  The amount of water that can be collected is limited to how much can be carried on one's back which often times necessitates two or more trips per day.

This situation would be bad enough if the quality of the water was acceptable.  However, this is far from the case.  The video shows a typical water source while Zinach demonstrates how she must transfer the water into a 5 gallon container for the return trip home.  Zinach is only 9 years old yet she has been collecting and carrying water nearly every day for 3 years.  The quality of the water is such that a typical person in our country would  not even consider putting it on their lawn let alone into their mouth.

Please join with the Central Highlands Foundation in improving the health and quality of Zinach's  life as well as her fellow community members.  For approximately $8000 the Spring which you have seen can be protected and restored to its original pristine condition and clean and healthy water made available to all residents of the village.