Site visit to Genzloes water scheme
Forty-two participants from South Ari Woreda and four participants from water safety plan pilot kebeles visited Shishir Kebele to see firsthand how community action can transform water services. They visited three newly built village spring schemes and upgrades to Shishir's health post and primary school water and sanitation facilities, learning how local mobilisation is driving lasting change in water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
Published on: 03/07/2025
A field visit organised by the South Ari Woreda Water Safety Planning (WSP) team, in collaboration with IRC WASH, showcased a remarkable community-led initiative in Shishir Kebele, where local residents have constructed their own water schemes and improved WASH services without relying on external financial aid.
Forty-two participants from South Ari Woreda and four participants from WSP pilot kebeles joined the visit. Participants included kebele administrators, representatives from the Woreda Administration, Worda Council members and WASH sector officials. The purpose of the visit was to learn from Shishir’s successful community mobilisation for water service improvement. The team visited three recently constructed village-level spring water schemes, as well as improvements made to the water supply systems and sanitation facilities of the Shishir Comprehensive Health Post and Primary School.
The cornerstone of this success was the strength of the Kebele WSP team to fully engage the community, which led to successful community participation in constructing their own water schemes. Based on this learning, five additional villages are preparing to construct on-spot spring sources.
“This is a model kebele for all of South Ari,” said Mr. Yohannis Melti, Vice Head of the Prosperity Party Office in South Ari Woreda. He added, “Shishir didn’t wait for external aid—they mobilised local resources and took responsibility to construct three water schemes on their own and ensured service for institutions, which is a powerful example for other villages and Kebeles to follow.”
Simeon Oshi, chairperson of Woreda Council Office, stated that “Shishir Kebele changed their capacity building training into action, this kind of transformation is what we strive for across the woreda.”
The Shishir Kebele leaders and the WSP team shared their experience with visitors, walking them through their planning, resource mobilisation, and infrastructure development processes.
Participants were impressed by the financial efficiency of the approach. “If this had been handled through a formal government bidding process with contractors, the construction costs would have been much higher. Community-led efforts not only build ownership but also save significant cost—this is a best practice worth scaling up.” said, Tinishu Tekle, Deputy Head of the Ari Zone Water, Mines, and Energy Department.
The leader of Sida Kebele, Ato Daniel Kana, said that they are inspired and encouraged by Shishir kebele’s experience. “We have a plan and ready to begin construction of three water schemes using local resources with the support of our WSP team”.
The representative from the Woreda Natural Resources Protection Office also reminded participants of the importance of protecting water sources and their surrounding environments from degradation and hazards, an integral part of ensuring sustainable WASH services. Shishir Kebele and other participating kebeles have shown strong commitment to speeding up the Water Safety Plan (WSP) implementation process. They have promised to work hard to improve WASH services in their communities.
The South Ari Woreda WASH Steering Committee is now committed to promoting and replicating Shishir’s success across the woreda, reinforcing the value of internal best practices and community leadership in achieving lasting improvements in WASH service delivery.
For more information on the process, also take a look at the blog: Successful community-driven water access in Shishir Kebele of South Ari
