In the village of Hurso, set in the dusty desert of eastern Ethiopia, there are two wells. One sits in a dry depression – abandoned and completely worthless. The second well supplies precious water to the small farm that surrounds it. What’s the difference between these two wells? The answer lies in a concept that I believe will determine the success of our work here in Ethiopia: empowerment.

David Jung, a GHNI partner, describes the three main ways we can respond to a perceived need. We can do, we can teach, or we can empower. From day one we have to approach the people we help as equals, as co-workers who are the answer to their own problems rather than victims who are merely recipients of our resources and expertise. That’s how we empower people.

So, what’s the difference between the two wells in Hurso? The abandoned one was built by a large non-governmental organization (NGO). They came into the village ready to fix Hurso’s problems for them. Without the cooperation of the local leadership and against their preferences, they sunk a $10,000 bore hole over 150 meters deep. The villagers felt excluded and uninvolved, so they sabotaged the well by filling it with rocks. The NGO’s intent on merely “doing” rather than “empowering” resulted in a sad waste of time and money.

The flowing well in Hurso belongs to Abdul Sammad, a local man who wanted to begin farming, but lacked water for irrigation. With a little support from a friend, he and five other villagers began to dig. Three months later, after fighting their way through 60 feet of hardened clay and bedrock with primitive tools, they hit water. When he first took me to see his farm, it was easy to see the pride he had in the well he and his friends had dug with their own hands. Now Sammad has a healthy crop of young tomatoes, onions and corn, and is one of the first successful private farmers in Hurso.

The two wells in Hurso illustrate the difference between people who are treated as victims and those who are empowered, and I’m excited to be a part of GHNI’s efforts as we empower some of the poorest villages in Ethiopia.

Peter Masters
GHNI Intern, Ethiopia