How a Solar-Powered Well Restored Dignity and Safety for Gabow’s Family
For a 32-year-old Gabow Ali Adan, water used to decide how each day would begin. A mother of six, Gabow lives with her family in a makeshift shelter in Qurac Bilash village, Beled Hawa District area, after fleeing from Hudur/Xuddur in southwestern Somalia due to prolonged drought and insecurity.
Mrs. Gabow Ali Adan outside her makeshift home in Qurac Bilash village. Photo:Isack Hussein
Back in Hudur, Gabow’s family-owned farmland and depended on farming for their livelihood. But as the drought worsened and conflict continued, life became unbearable. With her husband suffering from diabetes and unable to work, Gabow joined many other families and walked for days in search of safety. “We left behind our land, our home, and the life we knew,” Gabow recalls.
“We came here because we needed peace and a place where our children could be safe.”
When they arrived in Qurac Bilash, water was one of the biggest daily struggles for both displaced families and the host community. Before the water project, community members had to contribute money to hire a water bowser to fetch water from the river and pour it into a community-owned berkad. One round trip cost around USD 35. Families who could not contribute had to pay USD 0.50 for six 20-litre jerrycans per day.
For Gabow, even this small amount was often difficult to afford. With no stable income, she would go out every morning looking for manual work such as washing clothes or utensils in nearby homes to support her children and her sick husband.
“Sometimes we had no money at all,” she says. “When there was no water bowser, we walked to the river. It is about two kilometres away. It was tiring, and it was not always safe.”
The lack of reliable water affected every part of family life. Bathing was rare, hygiene was difficult to maintain, and women and children carried the burden of fetching water. Every litre had to be carefully managed.
That situation changed when NCA through the support of Brot für die Welt (Bread for the world) constructed a shallow well, equipped it with a solar-powered system, built an elevated water tank, and established communal water points for the community.
Today, Gabow and her neighbors have access to clean water close to their homes, available throughout the day.
“Now we have plenty of water running 24 hours a day,” Gabow says with relief. “Before, we rarely took baths, but now we bathe our children and ourselves. We do not even take one minute to fetch water because the water point is close to where we live.”
The project has reduced both the financial and physical burden on families. Gabow no longer has to spend scarce household income on water, and she no longer walks long distances to the river. For a mother caring for six children and a husband with health needs, this has made a significant difference.
“Before, water was always a worry in my heart,” she explains. “Now I feel peace. I feel safe because water is near us, and I do not have to choose between buying water and meeting other needs for my family.”
For Gabow, the impact of the water system is not only about access to water. It is about dignity, safety, health, and hope.
“If this project had not come, life would still be very hard for us,” she says. “We would still be paying for water or walking to the river when we had nothing. Our children would continue suffering.”
She also has a message for the organizations and donors who supported the project:
“You have changed our lives. Water is life. Because of this support, our children are cleaner, our homes are better, and our community feels stronger. We ask you to continue supporting families like us who have lost so much but still hope for a better future.”
For Gabow and many families in Qurac Bilash, the solar-powered water system is more than infrastructure. It is a lifeline that has brought water closer, restored dignity, and eased the daily struggle of displaced and vulnerable communities trying to rebuild their lives.
