29/05/2026
Bridging the Gap: How EKHCHADC, CAWST, and GAC are Transforming Community WASH Practices
Real lasting change for a healthier life always begins with a single step: sharing knowledge.
To celebrate recent milestones and trade insights with local NGOs and community leaders, the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Humanitarian Aid and Development Commission (EKHCHADC), alongside the Center for Affordable Water, Sanitation and Technology (CAWST), hosted a vibrant, two-day workshop in Addis Ababa last week. The event sparked deep, interactive conversations centered on water safety, sanitation infrastructure, hygiene practices, and the power of low-cost, accessible technologies.
Four Years of Impact: The "Women-Led WASH for Healthy Homes" Initiative
For the past four years, EKHCHADC, CAWST, and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) have joined forces to champion the Women-led WASH for Healthy Homes project. By working hand-in-hand with everyday citizens, neighborhood schools, grassroots leaders, and regional water experts, the initiative has driven remarkable, life-changing progress in both family homes and the environment.
Over its four-year span, the collaborative effort achieved incredible, measurable results:
• Empowering Local Workers: 150 grassroots artisans were trained in essential trades.
• Transforming Schools: 16 local educational institutions received vital infrastructure support.
• Broad Outreach: Over 70,770 people were directly reached, alongside 672 health workers or initiatives.
• Safer Water Habits: The number of families actively treating their drinking water skyrocketed by 60 percent.
• Better Daily Hygiene: Proper utilization of handwashing stations rose by 73.5 percent.
• Sanitation Breakthrough: The number of homes equipped with upgraded latrines multiplied by a staggering 60 times.
These metrics represent far more than data on a spreadsheet—they represent a profound shift toward healthier living for thousands of families.
Overcoming Rural Challenges with Local Solutions
Throughout rural Ethiopia, communities frequently battle a web of overlapping water and hygiene obstacles. Families often struggle with a lack of affordable sanitation products, fragile outhouses, deeply ingrained behavior patterns, and structural roadblocks within local governance that make it difficult to adopt and maintain new habits.
To break this cycle, the project embraced a learning-first philosophy. By blending affordable technology with behavioral psychology and structural support—all powered by local enthusiasm—the initiative mapped out a new path forward. During the workshop, attendees actively debated and analyzed diverse ideas to ensure these strategies take root permanently, paving the way for future community-led initiatives.
A Unified Front for Future Health
In his closing address, Woyita Waza(PhD), the Deputy Commissioner of EKHCHADC, called for an even stronger bond between the commission and its partner networks, advocating for an open-door philosophy rooted in teamwork and active cooperation for future projects.
Pointing out how closely public utility systems mirror the everyday well-being of the population, he made a passionate plea for all sectors to unite in tackling these urgent, grassroots struggles.
He emphasized that access to clean drinking water is entirely inseparable from strong sanitation and hygiene habits. Without an equal focus on proper waste management and personal hygiene, he argued, any financial investments poured into clean water access or clinical healthcare will not bring the expected lasting change.
Deputy Commissioner Woyita Waza(PhD) wrapped up with a sobering warning: ignoring these foundational needs will only leave vulnerable families trapped in an endless, generational loop of avoidable sickness and economic struggle.
Looking Ahead: Two Decades of Shared Vision
Reflecting on their journey, Woyita Waza(PhD) proudly noted that EKHCHADC has reached two decades of collaboration with CAWST. For over twenty years, this alliance has successfully designed, tested, developed, and implemented a diverse range of operational modalities and models.
Defined by mutual resilience and shared growth, this enduring bond has already hit major structural milestones. Today, building upon this rock-solid foundation, the partnership is leading the charge in introducing innovative, market-driven strategies to make clean, sustainable sanitation a reality for all.