“The water that we get is never enough for a household that has many family members like mine. This makes life very difficult.”
Bernesh, 40, and her children Mamaru, 14, Bosena, 9, Gojjam, 16, and Tilahun, 2
Bernesh Mekonnen, 40, is a coffee farmer who lives in Mankusa Abdoguma, Jabi Tehnan Distrcit of Ethiopia. Bernesh and her family don’t have access to clean water. They are allowed to get 4 jerrycans of water [about 80 litres] every other day. Not having enough water is becoming a challenge in their lives.
Interview
I am Bernesh Mekonnen. I think I am 40 years old; I don’t know my exact birth date. I live with my husband Tilahun Abatu and our six children: Mihretu Tilahun, 23; Banchialem Tilahun, 18; Gojjam Tilahun, 16; Mamaru Tilahun, 14; Bosena Tilahun, 9; and Habtamu Tilahun, 2.
We are farmers. We have a plot of land on which we mainly grow coffee, teff and red pepper. This year, it didn’t rain on time and hence it affected our produce. Currently we sell a kilo of coffee for 92 ETB [£2.20]. We use the money to cover our daily expenses. The maximum amount we sell at any one time is about 5 kilos.
Bernesh, 40, sipping a cup of coffee while her son Tilahun, 2, sits on her lap
Mamaru, 14, playing football in front of his parents' house
Current water source
We have a hand-dug well from which we fetch water. But currently it is broken. There is no other source of water in the area, so we need to travel to Mankusa [the nearest town] to get water. It takes about an hour to get to the town with a Bajaj [a three-wheeled motor bike]. It is not imaginable to walk back from the town with a jerrycan full of water. As a result, we pay 6 ETB for the carriage, and we buy one jerrycan with 2 ETB. In total we pay 8 ETB [£0.19].
Before the well was broken, we used to get 4 jerrycans of water every other day. Now, since the water is not enough for our community, we take turns. The water that we get is never enough for a household that has many family members like mine. This makes life very difficult.
Bernesh, 40, and her children Gojjam, 16, Tilahun, 2, Mamaru, 14, and Bosena, 9, gathered in the house to have coffee
Coffee growing and water
Coffee is the main source of our family’s income. It has been over 20 years since my husband and I start coffee farming. Our life depends on the produce. Hence, we take care of it as much as we can.
Water is very important for coffee plantation. If the coffee plant doesn’t get water, it dries up. Our neighbourhood has a traditional irrigation system to water our coffee plants. However, we are only allowed to get the water once a month and only for two hours. That is not enough for the coffee. But on the other hand, there is not enough water. Water is very scarce in our area. So we always wait for the rain, since it’s the only means by which our farm gets enough water.
Bernesh Mekonnen, 40, picking coffee beans from a tree on her farm
Bernesh Mekonnen, 40, spreading coffee beans on the ground so that they can dry
Clean and safe water
Having clean water is indescribable for me. We believe access to clean water will change our lives. We can maintain our hygiene, and besides, we will lead a healthy life. My youngest son, Habtamu, gets sick more often. Whenever I take him to a health facility, they tell me it’s a waterborne disease. But I have no other source of water. Also, he has fungal infection on his scalp, and it gets worse because I can’t wash him every day. If we had access to clean water, we would save our time to do other income-generating activities.
Gallery
