A drop of life for primary schools in southern Ethiopia

Chinese organizations have gifted clean drinking water facilities to select primary schools in drought-hit southern Ethiopia.

The five air-water generators have been donated by the Tsinghua University China-Africa Leadership Development Institute, the HurRain NanoTech team and the China Foundation for Rural Development (formerly China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation), a joint statement said.

Distributed among educational institutions in Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region of Ethiopia, namely the Key Afer, Tulungo, Sitimba, Turmi and Demeka primary schools, these machines will provide clean water to about 2,100 students.

The air-water generators were officially donated in the presence of former Ethiopian first lady Roman Tesfaye, local government officials, including South Omo Zone education department head Weli Haile, and senior representatives from the Chinese side.

As Ethiopia and countries in the Horn of Africa face the worst drought in decades, where the consequences of lack of rain are aggravated by conflicts, climate change, locust infestations and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts emphasize that humanitarian assistance is urgently needed.

Initiated by the Tsinghua University China-Africa Leadership Development Institute and supported by the China Foundation for Rural Development, the project conducted by a team of experts modified the innovative water purification solution with graphene-enabling filters, and then designed an energy-efficient air-water generator effective in Ethiopian weather.

The team worked overtime on the prototype and made the equipment ready before schedule, according to the joint statement.

Despite the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the machines arrived in Ethiopia and cleared several rounds of quality tests conducted by the Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration under the Ministry of Health.

The air-water generator, which absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and produces clean water when simply plugged in, has been introduced in Ethiopia for the first time. The technology brings tangible benefits to the local people, according to the statement.

"The equipment is very suitable for the climatic conditions in the region, and children can drink safely," Tesfaye said during a ceremony held to mark the distribution of the latest technology in late June.

"Ethiopia is suffering from drought and water shortage. This high-tech, zero-waste and no-plastic water purification solution will directly help schools and communities."

Muda Wacho, the Key Afer district administrator, called on students to protect the water resource and emphasized the importance of the new system in addressing the need for clean water in schools.