Italian NGO helps bring clean water to villages in Ethiopia

By Vincenzo Giardina

A few weeks ago, a celebration took place in southern Ethiopia marking the construction of five water supply systems. Water and energy are critical challenges in these hills that rise toward the highlands. Prolonged droughts make water supplies increasingly unpredictable, and there is no room for waste.

“From now on, it will be essential to take care of this water system by saying, ‘It is ours,’ and by feeling that it belongs both to each individual and to the whole community,” says Gezachew Belay, administrator responsible for water and energy in the Ari district of southern Ethiopia.

“In the villages,” Gezachew adds, “there must be a strong sense of responsibility so that this service can be guaranteed not only today, but also in the future.”

A group of women in southern Ethiopia take part in an initiative by the Italian NGO Comunità Volontari per il Mondo (CVM), a member of the Focsiv federation (@Focsiv)   (@Focsiv)

A ten-kilometre pipeline

Today, the water flowing from the taps travels through a ten-kilometre (6.2 miles) pipeline with an elevation drop of about 600 metres. It begins at a mountain spring and reaches the villages entirely by gravity.

Nothing about the project, however, could be taken for granted.

“So far we have built five water systems in partnership with the authorities of the Basketo, Semen Ari, and Geze Gofa districts,” says Attilio Ascani, project coordinator for CVM (Community of Volunteers for the World), an Italian NGO that is part of the Focsiv federation. “From the locality of Angila, for example, we expect to bring clean water to four villages with a combined population of about 6,000 people.”

The service is supported by Italy through funds from the 8xmille allocation to the Catholic Church. It is provided free of charge—because water is priceless.

“Most people in this region still lack access to safe drinking water,” Ascani explains. “Only about 30% to 40% of the population has access to clean water sources, a situation that also has serious public health implications because of waterborne diseases.”

A public health challenge

Ethiopia is a country on the move. Even in 2026, it remains among Africa’s fastest-growing economies, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting GDP growth of 9.2%. Building dams capable of generating electricity and supporting industrial development remains one of the priorities of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Work is monitored as clean water is brought to villages in southern Ethiopia

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Significant regional disparities, however, persist. Basketo, Semen Ari, and Geze Gofa are among the country’s most vulnerable districts. UNICEF estimates that at least 60% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia are linked to the lack of safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation, while diarrhoeal diseases continue to be among the leading causes of child mortality.

Fifty years of commitment to water access

CVM’s work in Ethiopia began with water. It was in 1980 that the organization’s first two volunteers arrived in the country to carry out water engineering projects.

According to Degfe Getachew, another administrator in the Ari district, that commitment is just as important today as it was then. “Our community has faced many hardships because of malaria and other diseases associated with the lack of clean water,” he says.

A community meeting to raise awareness about the maintenance of water supply systems (@Focsiv)   (@Focsiv)

Standing in line with a jerrycan is Burte. Holding a child with her other hand, she shares the impact of this project: “Water is life. Without it we cannot survive. Now we are happy—especially us mothers.”

Looking to the future is also Sadichana, who lives in the village of Sefera.

“For a long time we drank water from the river, always risking illness,” she recalls. “Now, at last, clean water flows through our village. We will take good care of it.”