Representatives of the public and Water Action Executive Director, Adane Kassa signed the agreement at the project’s launching workshop organized in Ambo town on Wednesday.

Speaking at the occasion, Eng. Abera Mekonen of the Ministry of Water Resources said the Ministry has designed and is implementing universal access program to expand country’s clean water coverage.

The program has already enabled 52 percent of Ethiopian population get access to clean water services at middle of the program’s period, with efforts to further be strengthened to benefit the remaining population.

He said the ministry would extend its support to the success of the project which aspires expanding clean water services to the public.

Regional water bureau head, Motuma Mekassa said access to water supply is a driving force for any development activities.

He said though the government’s attention to the sector is increasing over time, the sector still needs intervention of other stakeholders in Ethiopia.

Adane Kassa for his part said the project area has very low water and sanitation coverage. He said clean water supply and sanitation are serious problems in the area, causing health and social problems among residents.

The woreda (Dendi) dwellers have been fetching unsafe water from far located water wells which caused serious health problems on the residents and exposded women to rape and HIV/AIDS.

The project, assumed to consume some 12 million Birr, is primarily designed to eliminate these problems, he said.

The first phase of the project was launched in collaboration with IntermonOxfam at a cost of not less than seven million Birr.

The project, executed in Dendi and Ambo Woreda, in West Shewa zone of the Oromia region, is believed to benefit more than 50,0000 people living in the project area.

The three year project is financed by the European Union, Intermon Oxfam and the community.

Water Action has been implementing projects in different regions of the country since May 1995 focusing on water supply, hygiene and sanitation as well as environmental protection sectors.

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