“Having clean water means having everything for me.”
Agegnehush Kahen, 70, lives at a particular place called Fenket in Mankusa Abdoguma. The place is located in Jabi Tehnan District of Ethiopia. Agegnehush is a coffee farmer. Her life depends on her coffee plants as she earns her income by selling the coffee.
Agegnehush Kahen, 70, picking coffee beans from a tree on her farm
Interview
My name is Agegnehush Kahen. I am around 70 years old, but I am not sure about my age. I have five children: Mosit Terefe, 45; Fetenech Terefe, 40; Minlargesh Terefe, 30; Sintayehu Terefe, 25; and Esubalew Terefe, 22. My children are living their own lives and I am currently living on my own. However, they come and visit me, as well as help me with the chores.
I am a farmer. I grow red peppers, millet and coffee. It’s been a long time since I started growing coffee. I make a living by selling the beans.
Current water source
There is only one water source in our neighbourhood. It’s a hand-dug well. Unfortunately, it is broken now and hence, we need to buy water from the nearby town [Mankusa] or walk for about an hour to fetch water from a river called Debohela.
At Mankusa, they sell a jerrycan of water for 2 ETB [£0.04] and the transportation costs 6 ETB [£0.14]. As I am too old to carry a jerrycan and walk for an hour, I pay a minimum of 8 ETB [£ 0.19] to get water.
When the well was working, we got 4 jerrycans of water every other day. It is not possible to fetch water every day, as it is not enough for the entire community. So we take turns.
Coffee growing and water
It is very difficult to grow coffee without having access to water. We have traditional irrigation in our community to water our coffee plants. But, since the water is not enough, we don’t get it every day. For example, we only get the water for 3 – 4 hours every two months.
The coffee plant becomes fruitful and good during the rainy season, as it gets plenty of rainwater. This is very difficult. Plants need water to grow. Because of this, the produce that I get from my coffee is decreasing over time. As it is my main source of income, this gets me worried.
Agegnehush Kahen, 70, picking coffee beans from a tree on her farm
Agegnehush Kahen, 70, grinding raw coffee beans using a traditional grinding mill
Clean and safe water
I have seen tap being constructed near our neighbourhood, and I can’t wait to start using it. Having clean water means having everything for me. As I am old, it is becoming very difficult for me to stand and wait in the long queue by the well to get water. Having clean water nearby would make life very much easier for me. I could drink clean water whenever I felt thirsty and I could even wash my clothes whenever I wanted to. Besides, I could keep my personal hygiene. That’s why I am looking forward to start fetching water from the newly constructed tap. That day will be a very special day for me and for our entire neighbourhood.
Freshly harvested coffee beans from Agegnehush’s farm