Clean water is flowing in Gara Dima village! It has taken three plus years of project planning, fund raising, borehole drilling, numerous delays and what seemed like endless negotiations with all the local administrative entities to bring this great project to completion. Gara Dima Village now has what most of us take for granted - Clean, healthy, uncontaminated - Water!

One of the last hurdles was overcome when the Catholic Church reinstalled the borehole pumps in the presence of all the administrative stake holders - Zone Water Bureau, Woreda Water Bureau, and The World Family. The system was checked for leaks, including the pump, pipe lines and holding tank. The entire system passed with flying colors!

On May 20, The World Family officially handed over the completed project to the Gara Dima community and the local water bureau officials, which included Mr. Ato Mengistu (Woreda finance head), Mr. Ato Alemu (Zone Water Bureau), and Mr. Ato Hawaz (Woreda Water Bureau). Many community members were present for the hand-over ceremony, included community members, men, women and children, who opened the faucets and filled their water containers with clean drinking water. Eleven community members were selected to administer the water project and collect a minimal water fee. They also will be trained to maintain the generator, fill the diesel container and keep the water tank full, as well as fix minor problems that can arise.

Special thanks must be given to our Executive Director Emebet Bellingham who stubbornly pursued a multitude of complications, hold-ups and bureaucratic requirements in order to see this great project to completion. And again we want to thank board member Kim Fullerton Nelson and her mother, Jessica Fullerton for their generous donations for the project. Thanks also must be given to Teddy (Tewodros Taye) who did much of the local leg-work from our office in Addis Ababa.

Finally, a new day has come to the Village. Gara Dima today, as we speak (write) is riddled with waterborne diseases but this will change rather quickly. Heaven only knows how many people, especially children, have died over the years for want of this essential element of clean water. The village girls who daily trek to the muddy, disease-filled pond for water, can now fill their containers with clean well-water. They will place their filled containers upon their heads and carry them home - clean, life-sustaining water to be used for safe drinking, disease prevention and personal hygiene.