In rural Ethiopia, women and children can walk up to six hours to collect clean water because finding safe clean water in Ethiopia is a struggle.

In many villages in rural Ethiopia, the only times you drink water is after a 6 hour trip to collect clean water. Sounds crazy right? Nevertheless, the crazy part is that is for millions of Ethiopans in Africa the reality is day-to-day real and much harsher than either you or I could relate.

These are the people spending their day looking for water and then going to bed wondering where the next cup of water will come from. Ethiopan women and female children wake up at 6 a.m. before the sun gets too hot and start walking in search of clean safe water.

Still walking at 8 a.m. 2 hours later, no clean water, still walking at 9 a.m. three hours later they finally get to a stream of clean river water. They fill up their plastic Jerry cans of water weighting about 40 pounds when full and began the three-hour walking expedition back home in the peak heat of the day, reaching home at 1 p.m. and knowing tomorrow they will get up and do it all over again the next day.

A Jerry can is a portable fuel and gas can but in many parts of the world, it is used to carry water. Imagine carrying 80 pounds of water not down a paved road but climbing up steep hills and over rocks in a war zone. Walking for water on a daily basis is not only a back breaking physical activity, but is also dangerous. The average distance that women in Africa walk to collect water is 3.7 miles or 6 kilometers.

Water purification location in the Somali district of Ethiopia

Collecting clean water in Ethiopia is a struggle because walking up to six hours to collect water is normal day-to-day activity.

Ethiopia has one of Africa’s lowest rates of access to water supply, and sanitation despite abundant surface and groundwater resources.

West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Program

Ethiopia's main health problem is the spread of disease caused by poor water and sanitation. During the dry-season, more traditional sources of water are placed under pressure as shallow wells or other permanent sources dry-up.

Ethiopia’s 96 million people, 86.5 million people or 83 percent live in rural areas. A vast majority of Ethiopia’s population lacks adequate access to safe water and proper sanitation facilities. That is 49 million people or 51% lack safe water and 76 million or 79% have no sanitation services.

At most, 49 percent of people have access to safe water, while proper sanitation facilities are available to about 21 percent. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services negatively impact health and productivity, especially that of children.

At the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the U.S. commitment to the Goals for Sustainable Development. One goal was to reduce by half, the proportion of people without access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation” by the year 2015.

To help reach this goal, leading US-based non-governmental organizations working in water and sanitation formed the Millennium Water Alliance. The situation is critical, at least 1.8 billion people worldwide are estimated to drink water that is not protected against contamination from feces. 

From 2011-2015 the West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Program or WASH Millennium Water Alliance goal is to provide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to approximately 483,000 people; including 83,000 students in 90 schools. Since 2006, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has awarded over $14 million to the Millennium Water Program.

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Chic African Culture

Do not tell the person who is carrying you that he stinks is a wise saying in the language of proverbs have been passed down for generations in African culture.

Toxic people stink

Nothing satisfies them, even if they achieve a goal or get something they want. It seems like they have an insatiable hunger. They just never feel full. They usually have had it tough early on.

Perhaps they came from an abusive family, or they went through something traumatic that was not handled right. Toxic people look for the big payback every time.

When you are in their company, you feel a sense that you “owe” them something, and you cannot quite put a finger on what that is. Anger is an emotion that they easily go to.

They are either churning about something that happened in the past resenting how they were treated or finding fault with what is going on in the present.

You feel like you have to watch your every word when you are around them. There is no one, in their opinion, which has had it worse off than them. Moreover, they can trade you story after story.

If you seriously listen to their scenarios and try to help, you cannot. They simply do not want to change, no matter what you do. These people are so wrapped up in themselves; there is no room for your feelings and needs. They are too busy thinking about themselves and their next moves. You will never when toxic people over.

 

Other African Proverbs on toxic people stink

Do not abuse the hospitality of others.

Those who constantly speak about invented miseries hurt those around them.

It is a bad child who does not take advice.

A thousand cranes in the air are not worth one sparrow in the fist.

A fine cage will not feed the bird.

A good swimmer is not safe against drowning.

After mischance everyone is wise.

An enemy does not sleep.

Bad watch often feeds the wolf.

Born but yesterday and today a giant.

He does a good day’s work that rids himself of a fool.

He is rich enough who owes nothing.

He who rides on the giant’s shoulders sees further than he who carries him.

Like the tusk and teeth of an elephant, one set for show and another for use.

None so busy as those who do nothing.

Not every dog that barks bites

Nothing falls into the mouth of a sleeping lion.

One-half of the world laughs at the other.

Scratch people where they itch.

The devil often lurks behind the cross.

The eagle does not hunt flies.

The fool who is silent passes for wise.

The goat has paid with its life, yet its meat is not tasty.

The greedy eats with eyes closed before his children.

The only way to keep a secret is to say nothing.

The sheep on the mountain is higher than the bull on the plain.

The tree does not fall at the first stroke.

There is no such thing as an insignificant enemy.

To wash a donkey’s tail is loss of time and soap.

Too late the bird cries out when it is caught.

Two crows on the same ear of corn are not long friends.

What was withheld as secret thought will come out through a slip of tongue.

The ladle cannot serve anything if the pot is empty.

You may deny that you were fed, but your body will tell.

Lead a fool into the house but just show the path to the wise.

Food that is rejected at one place is accepted at another.

Optimism leads to riches and pessimism leads to poverty.

You do not benefit from a lie and neither does a lie benefit from another lie.

The frog enjoys himself in water but not in hot water.

Unstringing the bow does not cure the wound.

What is enough was never little.

What is learned in the cradle lasts until the grave.

In everyday life, African proverbs inspire with ancient words of wisdom.

African proverbs bring people together, read and study more proverbs, quotes, and sayings from the African continent.

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Proverbs are the official language of the African Nation

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