The first time Loko Miyo used an ATM card, she wasn’t withdrawing money. She was collecting water.
For years, Loko had never imagined that a simple tap of a card could replace the exhausting six-hour journey she made to fetch just one 20-litre jerrycan of water from a polluted river.
“It was very difficult to walk on the rocky road carrying a jerrycan full of water,” she recalls. “I will never forget the day I fell. The jerrycan hit my neck, and I was in bed for days.”
The long journey was only part of the struggle. The river was shared by people and livestock, making the water unsafe to drink. Her children repeatedly suffered from diarrhea and other waterborne diseases.
“Since the water from the river was dirty, my children became sick again and again,” Loko says. “I had to sell my goats to pay for their medical expenses.” Today, Loko’s life looks very different.
With funding from the Global Affairs Canada, Action Against Hunger constructed an automated water point in Mormora Kebele, Moyale Woreda, bringing clean water just 15 minutes from her home.
Using a simple ATM card, community members can access clean water 24 hours a day without waiting for an operator. The system dispenses only the amount of water requested, reducing water wastage while automatically recording water use and payments. User fees are deposited directly into a dedicated bank account and managed by the community to cover the operation and maintenance of the facility, helping ensure the water point remains functional for years to come.
Loko (furthest left) and other community members sitting with the ATM.
Although Loko never had the opportunity to attend school, learning to use the technology was easier than she expected.
“I only know numbers, but I know which buttons to press to collect water and check my balance,” she says with a smile. “We were trained to use the machine, and now it is very easy.”
The impact has been life changing.
Instead of spending six hours collecting one jerrycan of water, Loko now fetches six jerrycans in a single trip. She has more time to prepare meals, wash clothes, care for her family, and tend a small vegetable garden. Most importantly, her children are healthy because they now drink clean and safe water.
The innovation has also strengthened community ownership.
Konsu Huqa, a community member who serves as the facility’s guard, takes pride in protecting the water point.
“I believe this water point is my own property,” he says. “I make sure people use it properly and keep it clean and safe.”
To ensure the innovation continues beyond the project, Action Against Hunger has worked closely with the Moyale Woreda Water and Energy Office, sharing lessons from the automated system and supporting local ownership.
“The introduction of this technology has transformed how we manage the water system,” says Mohamed Dima, Head of Water and Energy Office, Moyale Woreda. “It not only improves access to clean water but also strengthens accountability and provides a sustainable way to maintain the water system through community contributions.”
Community member withdraws water from the ATM.
Since becoming operational in December 2025, the automated water point has provided reliable access to clean water for around 1,500 people in Mormora Kebele. Recognizing the innovative approach and its potential benefits, the Moyale Woreda Water and Energy Office has expressed its commitment to replicate the system in other kebeles, expanding access to more efficient and sustainable water services.
For Loko, the ATM card is more than a way to access water. It is a gateway to better health and more time with her family.
