A big help for little money

Donkeys as water carriers

A great support for women and girls

Due to climate change, the water table is sinking dramatically in many areas of Africa. Wells are drying up and the water points that remain are far away. Traditionally, it is women and girls who spend hours walking with heavy canisters or gourds on their backs to get drinking water for their families. This problem can be quickly and cost-effectively resolved by distributing specially trained donkeys. The physical strain is ended, girls can attend school instead, women can work in the fields and take care of their families.

Water donkeys are inexpensive but very valuable

Just 175 euros is enough to give a family a water donkey and equipment. But for families, they are invaluable.

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Donkeys are common farm animals in Ethiopia and are used for a variety of purposes – in particular as pack animals for transporting large quantities of water. These are indigenous and undemanding animals that do not require additional training for the task of carrying water. They live for up to 15 years and have offspring. They are of a robust constitution, can transport up to 80 liters of water and can be used for a variety of other transport tasks, such as transporting crops to local markets or patients to health centers.

Frau hält einen Esel mit Wasserkanistern

Girls can attend school instead of carrying water

When donkeys are used to transport water from the source to the house, women and children are spared the burden of carrying water. In rural Ethiopia, water sources are often far from settlements, and it is traditionally the task of women and girls to get water for the household.

With heavy canisters or buckets on their backs, they walk for hours in the heat of the day – often on dangerous paths – to fetch drinking water for their families at remote water points. On average, they transport 20 liters of water over distances of about 5 to 15 km on foot per day.

Using donkeys to transport water significantly reduces the time and effort required. Time resources are freed up so that girls can attend school more regularly.

Women gain time for productive, income-generating activities or attending training courses. Thanks to improved access to water, households also have sufficient water for personal hygiene or for watering crops.

Selection criteria: Who gets a donkey?

The selection of project beneficiaries is carried out with the help of the heads of the local church community, as they are most familiar with local conditions and needs. The selected women nominate Muslim or Orthodox women from their community to ensure that other population or religious groups also benefit from the distribution. After verifying that there is a specific need among the nominees, the selection is confirmed by the project committee.

After appropriate documentation and signing of the contract, 50 to 100 animals are officially handed over to their new owners by lottery in a selected region of the country, usually once a year.

The donkey is a great relief, especially for the girls.

For women, donkeys are a “gift from heaven”

For 25 years, the WaterFoundation has regularly distributed donkeys to women in Eritrea and Ethiopia. More than 2000 animals have already found new owners. The women are always overjoyed and grateful, because word gets around about how much the good-natured pack animals change the lives of girls, women and their families for the better. The names they give their donkeys speak for themselves, such as “Roba” (gift from heaven) or “Relief” (relief).

Long-standing partner, the Ethiopia Gospel Deliverance Church

For many years, the distribution campaigns have been carried out in Ethiopia under the aegis of the Ethiopia Gospel Deliverance Church. Pastor Demeke Kebede, who has taken over from the recently deceased Yemaneberehan Endale, is now the WaterFoundation’s partner. He has excellent local knowledge and a nationwide network.

Local project committees are formed before a distribution. The donkeys are purchased together at the local livestock markets and the helpers equip them with a wooden carrying frame and two 20-liter canisters each. They also bring the donkeys to the distribution points.