Clean and drinkable water is an essential human right. Whether out of bottles in grocery stores, a faucet or tap water. Unfortunately, this is not the case for some people in developing nations. People living in impoverished areas often only have access to water full of parasites, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. In Ethiopia, this issue causes needless death and stymies the ability of people to lift themselves out of poverty. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2022, 2 billion people were without access to safe drinking water in their homes. 

Nearly 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia come from an unsanitary water supply. Another contributing factor to the spread of disease is unsafe hygiene practices. Unsafe hygiene leads to poor overall health and nutrition, making it harder for people in impoverished communities to go to school or work, leading to school absences, unemployment and continuing poverty. If they cannot go to school or work, lifting themselves out of poverty will be more challenging. Fortunately, the NALA Foundation WASH program is doing its part to give Ethiopians improved access to clean water and ultimately lead to a healthier lifestyle that will help them grow and prosper.

What is NALA?

The mission of the NALA (NTD Advocacy Learning Action) Foundation is to eradicate diseases of poverty, especially neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NALA is an organization that specializes in educating the people who need them about NTDs. These diseases are typically found in tropical areas and mainly affect poverty-stricken communities.  Through education and work with local communities, the NALA Foundation addresses the leading cause of these diseases. It works to combat poverty, not just in Ethiopia but in many different countries, by eradicating NTDs at the source and changing the hygiene behavior of the people they help.

The organization began after its founder, Professor Zvi Bentwich, MD, discovered a connection between HIV and tropical diseases. The founder was inspired to help at-risk communities protect themselves from preventable diseases. Bentwich founded the NALA foundation soon after that. It started as a small-scale operation out of a small area in Ethiopia with a high rate of NTDs. It has since grown to help many communities. 

The WASH Program in Ethiopia

More specifically, the NALA Foundation runs a program focusing on preventing water-borne illnesses through local involvement. This program is the WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) program. The NALA Foundation WASH Program emphasizes the need for communities to keep the community ownership of the project and maintenance of the infrastructure running after the organization has come through and helped them. NALA emphasizes the need for community members to be involved in making their water cleaner and for the people to continue to educate themselves. Community engagement in such projects ensures that these people in Ethiopia have the kind of water purification system they want and the one that will work for their town or village.

The Department of International Development and the Department of Management of the London School of Economics and Political Science did a 2015-16 study in Tanzania, which demonstrated the role of community engagement is in making people more aware of how to keep their water clean and live healthier lives. For example, the disease Schistomiasis declined by 4.4% in children after preventative measures were taken regarding hygiene. With the NALA Foundation model, the organization has reduced rates of intestinal worms in children by nearly 90%. The model consists of WASH programs, health education and drug administration. The Nala Foundation WASH program is just one part of a collective plan.

How Does NALA Lift People Out of Poverty? 

The entire purpose of the NALA Foundation WASH Program is to give people a chance to leave poverty and give themselves better opportunities to advance by preventing the spread of infectious diseases that make it difficult for people to go to work or school. The “Bring Bilharzia to Zero” field project has been in existence since 2015 and has resulted in a 60% drop in the rate of NTDs among children in school. Another initiative would be the “Deworming Mekelle” initiative. Through extensive drug administration, hygiene education and increased water sanitation, in 2014, after five years, the city of Mekelle received official recognition as the first city in Ethiopia to be free of Bilharzia. By focusing several programs on schoolchildren, NALA helps children stay in school and miss fewer days due to preventable diseases. More education leads to better knowledge and a greater chance of escaping poverty. 

The NALA Foundation WASH program does excellent things for Ethiopians in need. The stress of worrying about diseases that could prevent them from getting an education and going to work is a thing of the past. Whether eradicating the disease in a city where that had been a considerable issue or making children less likely to miss school, because of the NALA Foundation WASH program, people in Ethiopia and other African nations can worry a little less about education and community engagement in projects designed for their safety, with any luck, this program will change many lives for years.

– Calder Miller
Photo: Flickr