More than two years ago, members of the Community of St. Paul embarked in the project of bringing drinkable water to the 16,000 people living in the town of Wonji, Ethiopia. Today we celebrate that this dream, has become a reality.
In the first phase of the project, a water pump was bought and installed in a well near the Awash River and a tank was built to store the pumped water. In the second phase of the project, we carried out the work of channeling 4,400 meters of pipes from the tank to the town of Wonji. In September, two public fountains were built in the village and a water committee was formed and trained to take care of the maintenance, repair and administration of the water supply for the inhabitants of Wonji.
Finally, the fountains were inaugurated with great expectation on the part of the community. It is difficult to express in words the excitement that filled everyone as they saw the long awaited water flowing from the fountains. Today people in the town speak of how things have dramatically improved since the moment families had access to water near their homes, and how their lives have changed. We rejoice with them, and give thanks to all those who made this project a reality.
