In the early morning before school, 10-year-old Birchiko grabbed her yellow jerry can and joined her friends on the short walk to the new clean water well in her neighborhood. Nicknamed “Little Birchiko” for her small size, she had to quicken her pace to keep up with her friends. By the time they arrived, a line had formed and the well's guard was giving instruction on the proper use of the well. Hired by the community to manage the well, the guard was quick to remind the kids of the value of the water, “Listen up, all! You know how difficult it is to get clean water in this village, don’t let any of it go to waste!” Little Birchiko’s friends helped her position her jerry can under the spout and carefully filled it to the three-fourths mark so that she could easily carry it back to her family without spilling a drop.

Water is a precious resource in Layiye Dugie, one of the 10 Villages of Gondar. A year ago, Little Birchiko and her friends collected dirty water at the Gumara River. The long walk to the river took time away from school, and the contaminated water put families at risk of contracting waterborne diseases. With Glimmer's work here, the community now has clean water and Little Birchiko can finish her chores in time to attend fourth grade classes at the Layiye Dugie Complete Primary School nearby.

Thanks to strong community support, all Glimmer wells planned for this year across Gondar are ahead of schedule. We are making great progress but there is more work to do. Help us bring clean water to all the Little Birchikos of Gondar.