Water sanitation project successfully completed

A project to deliver safe water and hygiene knowledge to more than 8,000 people (1,205 households) in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, was successfully completed on August 5. This time, we implemented this project in the residential area where internally displaced people and returnees who were once refugees live. In this residential area, most of the aid organizations have withdrawn since 2014 due to the worsening security situation and other reasons, and despite that needs are high, support was not reaching the area.

Access to safe water was scarce here, and women and children spent many hours each day going to fetch water that was not always safe. Furthermore, because open defecation was common, diarrhea and other symptoms were frequently observed, especially among children. At the start of the project, the knowledge of hygiene of the people in the community was very low, but after the hygiene trainings, we were able to confirm that they had well acquired the knowledge and customs that we had conveyed to them. To continue this practice and to ensure that the wells and water stations constructed by JEN are properly managed, JEN had people to establish Well Management Committee early in the project, led mainly by residents in the region. In order for the committee members sustain the effectiveness of this project on their own, they also acquired knowledge and skills for the well management.

The project site is surrounded by mountains.

Utilizing solar power generation, water is pumped from a deep well to a water storage tank.

We recently received a report from the field confirming that the effects of JEN's water sanitation project are continuing even after the project has been completed. This is the situation in Aoba Khil Village, Pachir-wa-Agam District, the same province, where a similar project was completed in November 2021. In the district, as in many other parts of Afghanistan, diarrhea symptoms suspected to be cholera have been reportedly widespread this summer. However, in the village of Aoba Khil , where we conducted hygiene education, no such cases have been identified. This is probably due to the fact that the residents could have access to safe water and that they continue to practice the skills and knowledge they acquired through hygiene education.

Leader of Well Management Committee in the village of Aoba Khil

The deep well and water stations constructed by JEN are also operating without problems, under the proper management of Well Management Committee. The wells in the surrounding villages have dried up due to the drought, so the people of Aoba Khil Village share the water from this deep well with the people in the neighborhood.

The well and water stations were officially transferred, and it is the people of the local community who are responsible for maintenance and management.

With the generous support of our supporters, JEN's projects are steadily achieving results. However, the local needs are huge, and there are still many people in need of support. We will continue our activities to deliver efficient and effective projects to as many people as possible.