United Nations World Food Programme
Analysis
Thursday, August 01, 2013
For villagers in the Abudwaq district of
central Somalia, getting enough water has always been a challenge. After
facing a devastating drought, the townspeople found a way to solve that
problem, and built themselves a better future, with WFP's support.
ABUDWAQ, Somalia -- Halwo Hassan's face glows when she looks at the
shimmering water of the Dawaacale pan as it reflects the scorching
Somali midday sun. She smiles as she begins to tell the story of her
community's long journey to create the reservoir.
Halwo and her community in Abudwaq, central Somalia, were hit
extremely hard by the 2011 drought. So in late 2011 she and her
neighbors decided to take the matters into their own hands, to provide
water for their community and for their animals, which are their main
livelihood.
Water had been a major concern in the village for years. People had
to walk long distances - sometimes more than 10 kilometers - to fetch
water, both for themselves and for their goats and camels. This sapped
their energy and left them with little time for anything else, severely
limiting their other economic and social activities. Frequent droughts
in the recent past had eroded the community's ability to cope, and they
now had to grapple with the enormous challenge that stood before them.
In consultation with a local group called Alliance Organization Aid
(AOA), the community approached the local WFP office in Galkayo with a
plan: They would work on the water pan while WFP supported them with
food as part of its Food for Assets livelihood programme. The food
assistance allowed them to dedicate their time to the building the water
pan instead of spending many hours each day seeking to meet their food
needs during the hunger season.
The community leadership, the local administration and WFP all approved the project, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The water project was completed in 2012 and serves approximately
3,000 people. The project has reduced the distances that people have to
travel to find water from more than 10 kilometers to only a few meters.
"The water point has reduced the risks that communities have faced
due to trekking for long distances, especially violence against girls
and women," remarks Halwo. Moreover, it has enabled the community to
better fight back against future droughts.
The chairman of the project, Hassan Gaas, shared the community's
plans to further improve the pan by lining it to reduce loss due to
seepage and by increasing its capacity. This will allow the pan to hold
more water for a longer period time.
"It is really a blessing for us" says Hassan.