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Through its "Haith Al-Insan" program in its seventh season, Tawakkol Karman Foundation has funded a comprehensive water project in the remote village of Al-Mahwasa in Khanfir district, Abyan governorate. This initiative has ended the suffering of the villagers, whose children were plagued by illness due to the consumption of contaminated, salty water unfit for drinking.
For years, the children of Al-Mahwasa were forced to walk long distances daily to fetch water—either carrying it on their backs or using livestock, which sometimes struggled to bear the load. The brackish water they collected was the root cause of their frequent visits to Al-Razi Hospital for treatment of waterborne diseases and the reason many were unable to attend school.
A village trapped in a cycle of hardship
Afia Rajeh, a resident of Al-Mahwasa, described the dire situation: "We suffer from a severe lack of water, forcing us to fetch it from faraway places, either carrying it ourselves or using donkeys, which sometimes can’t even handle the burden. The water we drink is contaminated, causing our children to suffer from diarrhea. We survive on daily wages, and our economic situation is so dire that we can’t even afford to buy clean water. We barely manage to buy flour."
She added, "My daughter is bright in her studies, but I had to pull her out of school to help me fetch water. My legs hurt, and I can’t go alone. If we had clean water at home, my daughter wouldn’t have to miss school."
In Al-Mahwasa, homes remained empty during the day, as residents were either searching for water or taking their livestock to find it. Life in the village revolved around one exhausting goal: securing water.
Ali Hashem, the village elder, explained the ongoing crisis: "Our villages are deprived of basic services, and some are located more than three kilometers away from open wells. These wells have caused us countless health problems, including kidney diseases, urinary tract infections, and chronic diarrhea, which have become endemic here. For years, we have appealed to local authorities and organizations, but no one responded."
A groundbreaking approach to solving the crisis
Instead of simply addressing the symptoms of the crisis—sending more patients to hospitals—the "Haith Al-Insan" team took a different approach: tackling the root cause. They launched the first-ever project of its kind in these remote villages, bringing clean water directly to the residents of Al-Mahwasa.
The project involved the construction of an artesian well powered by a fully integrated solar energy system, enclosed within a secure area. The system includes a pumping and control station, a 25,000-liter elevated concrete water tank standing 12 meters high, and a 400-meter-long pipeline to distribute water across the village. Additionally, four public water stations, each equipped with six faucets, were strategically placed to ensure all villagers had easy access to clean water.
Transforming life in Al-Mahwasa
The artesian well project didn’t just improve the quality and accessibility of water—it transformed life in Al-Mahwasa. For the first time, villagers felt seen and supported, finally receiving a vital resource that made their hometown a livable place.
This project is more than just an infrastructure upgrade; it is a lifeline that has given the people of Al-Mahwasa the dignity of clean water, freeing them from the relentless struggle that once defined their lives.
