We are excited to announce that Project Waterfall will be starting a new 4-year project this summer to bring clean drinking water and sanitation to 10,622 people in the Jabi Tehnan district of Ethiopia in partnership with WaterAid.
Babisi Sonto Full Cycle Elementary School in Amhara, Ethiopia. - WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw
Ethiopia is considered the biological and cultural home of coffee. Coffee farming alone provides an income for over 15 million people across the country. Ethiopia is also one of the countries that struggle the most with the water crisis. Only 39% of the population have access to basic safe water and just 7% have access to basic sanitation. Jabi Tehnan is a rural, coffee growing district which has some of the worst coverage of clean water and sanitation.
Without clean drinking water and a safe toilet, many Ethiopians struggle with preventable illnesses. 8,500 children under five years old die of diarrhoea each year. Women and children spend up to 8 hours every day walking to collect water, time which could be spent with families, in school or earning a living.
Project Waterfall will be working with WaterAid to bring clean water and sanitation to over 7,000 people over the next 4 years. We will be working directly with the community and local partners to implement sustainable water and sanitation facilities, as well as addressing hygiene practices to limit the spread of water-borne illnesses.
Genet - Amhara, Ethiopia. - WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw
Nitsuh - Amhara, Ethiopia. - WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw
Whether you work in the coffee industry or just love coffee, we all owe these coffee farming communities a lot for making our love for coffee possible. In the spirit of giving back, UK Coffee Week and the London Coffee Festival will be kicking off the fundraising for this project this April.
The London Coffee Festival (12-15 April 2018) will be taking place at the Old Truman Brewery and 50% of all ticket sales will go to support Project Waterfall. You can buy your tickets for the festival here.
UK Coffee Week will take place from 16 – 22 April 2018. Thousands of coffee shops across the UK will join together for one week to celebrate great coffee and raise funds and awareness for Project Waterfall. Funds raised during UK Coffee Week 2018 will directly support this project, bringing clean drinking water and sanitation to communities in the Jabi Tehnan district of Ethiopia.
WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw
We cannot wait to get started and we hope you will join us this UK Coffee Week in celebrating your love of coffee and raising money for coffee growing communities.
Follow us for more about the project, stories from the field, fundraising tips, volunteering opportunities and more.
If you want to know how you can take part in UK Coffee Week 2018, please message Laura Newby at LNewby@Allegra.co.uk.
All photos courtesy of WaterAid/Behailu Shiferaw