AMHARA Region Projects

Water Supply Project

Arerti is the capital town of Minjar-Shenkora Woreda, North Shewa Zone of the Amhara National Regional State. Arerti town is growing fast as a result of increase in population attributed mainly for its importance gained when it became a Woreda town of two former Wereda’s (Minjar and Shenkora) that merged together in 2002. Whereas the social and economic activities are enhanced, the water supply systems remained unimproved. Women and children are suffering the daily drudgery of fetching water as an additional burden to shoulder domestic activities of the daily routines of rural life. Residents of Welenso village, one of the four Arerti Zuria villages has its source of water from a borehole drilled by Baptist Mission in 1992. These and other water wells are depleted with less production of water yield, due to over utilization of ground water resources and wear tear process of long years of service by all the submersible pumps installed cannot boost water to a height where the reservoir is located. Water is neither stored nor pumped up while the scarcity of water keeps people in line for four to five days of queuing. As a result large number of jerry cans and water jars are observed in thousands where children are absent from schools, women and men totally absorbed and occupied by shortage of water crisis and the consequences related to it. The water supply systems serving Arerti town and Arerti-Zuria villages are far too little to meet the water demands of the current population leading to worry and misery of family life in under development. As a result NACID is planning to intervene in water, environment and sanitation activities conducting feasibility study of potable water supply with a total cost of Birr 175,000. The feasibility study discusses the existing Water Supply System and their major problems, looks into possible sources of potential development scenarios and proposes a water supply scheme with conjunctive use of surface and ground water sources considered to be the best option for viable and sustainable investment.

Therefore, the proposed "Arerti and Arerti-Zuria" Water Supply Project Components are drilling of productive boreholes, construction surface water intake and 30m3 reservoirs, upgrading distribution line, laying of 15kms pipeline, construction of 7 public water points, ancillary buildings that include office, store, generator and a guard house, VIP latrines, a contribution for capacity building input for establishing proper management facility by the water board whose construction costs are estimated at Birr 4,344,780.00 equivalent to USD 503,225.00 planned to serve the neighboring rural community and urban population of 120,000. The proposal is submitted and circulated to potential donors and to concerned public and government agencies for mobilizing material, financial and for facilitating smooth implementation process.

Community based HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program

HIV/AIDS activities have been implemented with reproductive health project in the past scoring successful positive change as compared to cultural practices, social perception and the collective participation of the community in general and vulnerable youth in particular. The reproductive health component financed by USAID through Path finder international was disrupted due to policy change by the US government in reproductive health while the HIV/AIDS component financed by HAPCO continued with less active impact for lack of financial support by donors and delayed response from the regional health bureau for a project application submitted to them for financial assistance.