Barefoot Initiative
In 2004, three Australians interested in sustainable and community-driven development founded Barefoot Initiative. We were drawn to this organisation initially from their stunning photos of Ethiopia and its people, and then after an initial discussion, it was clear we had a shared objective; to work closely with communities at the ground level to foster inclusion and empowerment.
Barefoot Initiative’s approach is to listen and support the communities they work with so these communities become their own change makers. The mutual respect and trust with the people they serve is strengthened through their yearly visits to the Afar, where they live with the communities to gain an understanding of the current and future challenges, and share knowledge to enable the Afar people to put their development ideas into action.
Water Carts Program
During their visits to the Afar nearly 15 years ago, the Barefoot Initiative team witnessed the burden imposed on women and girls from carrying up to 30 litres of water on their backs in goatskins, up to six times a day, even while pregnant. Through discussions with the community the Barefoot Initiative came up with the idea to construct pilot water carts. Each cart was designed to carry about 80 litres of water with the most vulnerable households receiving a water cart. Over the following years, feedback from the community highlighted a need for carts with a stronger and more sturdy design, and more carts.
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To accommodate the increased demand, Barefoot Initiative commissioned and trained employees from a local garage on how to make the water cart. They also took women from the communities to the garage so that they knew where to go for maintenance and to purchase more carts; they now have a local supplier.
With the introduction of the water carts, the men of the community now partake in collecting water for the household, thus breaking the traditional role in Afar society where only the women and children collected the water.
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Barefoot Initiative have a target to reach 1186 households in Buri and Kalat Kabele. To date, they have provided 337 water carts, leaving 826 households that still need to be reached. During the 2019 financial year, the Fullife Foundation funded the construction and distribution of 139 water carts. In 2020, a commitment was made to fund an additional 250 water carts.
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Pharmacy Student Scholarship Sponsorship
In 2010, community leaders of the Yorren requested Barefoot Initiative support for Afar students to study at a tertiary level where acquired skills could be used to improve their communities. Education accessibility is an integral part of sustainable development so Barefoot Initiative was thrilled to establish a scholarship program. Fifteen students have been sponsored to date, five of whom have graduated successfully. The remaining 10 students are studying pharmacy, nursing, public health and economics.
The objectives for this project are to:
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Provide equal access for the opportunity to a tertiary education
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Eliminate gender disparities in education and provide equal opportunity to women and men to a tertiary education, with a focus on Indigenous and marginalised persons
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Strengthen the skilled human resources of the Afar by building the capacity of its youth
The Fullife Foundation commenced the sponsorship of two Afar students who have begun studying pharmacy at University in Addis Ababa for a five year Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. The total cost for the first year of the degree for both students is $11,224 which includes their tuition, laptops, accommodation, living expenses, and an allowance for a student liaison, who provides holistic support during their time at university.
Sawyer Water Filter Program
We have continued to strengthen our partnership with Barefoot Initiative, which, through their on-ground local partner, Waklisa Charity, implemented the Access to Safe Water program, where we funded 250 water carts and filters that were distributed to target households, including 24 persons living with a disability in 2022. Barefoot Initiative had a target to reach 1186 households from the eight target villages where they work and with 637 water carts and 550 water filters having already been distributed, we committed to continue our support in 2023 to meet their target by reaching a further 299 households needing a water cart and the 637 households needing a water filter.
One of the key objectives of the Barefoot Initiative has been to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Afar through low-cost, low-technology solutions that improve access to safe water. Through Waklisa’s provision of the Sawyer bucket water filter, water cart and household-level coaching on operation and maintenance, they have provided the community with a very simple but effective solution to access safe water to Afar homes.
To ensure community value, ownership and greater sustainability of the Access to Safe Water program, community consultations and feedback meetings recommended that every household receiving a water cart and water filter contribute 400 Ethiopian birr (approximately 5%). Families living below the poverty income level and having a family member living with a disability are exempt from the requirement.
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Viral Hepatitis Awareness & Prevention Initiative
Commencing in January 2024, the Fullife Foundation committed to supporting Barefoot Initiative and Waklisa in the first year of their latest effort to improve health outcomes for the Afar communities in Ethiopia, through a strategic viral hepatitis prevention and awareness project. This project targets one of the country’s most pressing public health issues, viral hepatitis, which remains endemic across Ethiopia and is particularly prevalent in the Afar region, where Hepatitis B rates are as high as 28.8%. Despite this, awareness, resources, and access to prevention and treatment services remain limited.
Building on the success of the safe water programs in the eight villages of Angalile and Kalat kebele, this initiative will expand to Haledabi Kabele to reach 15 villages and 1,786 households. Supporting 45 healthcare workers across three health posts and one health centre, the project is designed to support the Ethiopian Ministry of Health’s National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis (2021–2025) by strengthening community awareness, enhancing local healthcare capacity, and improving early detection, referral, and access to vaccination.
Through culturally appropriate community mobilisation, targeted training of healthcare workers and traditional leaders, and improved access to safe water, the initiative will address both the social and structural determinants of viral hepatitis. It also aims to reduce stigma, promote safe health practices, and increase the uptake of institutional deliveries and vaccinations. High-risk households will receive essential support, including travel subsidies for accessing vaccination centres and access to Sawyer water filters to reduce infection risk.