a young yemeni boy called ahmed riding at the back of a white donkey while holding a water container

Yemen: a journey from hardship to hope and the power of sustainable water solutions

Ahmed*, a determined 15-year-old boy from the Bilad Al-Ta’am district in Raymah, Yemen, had long dreamt of attending school. Yet his dream seemed firmly out of reach as his family were struggling with poverty, unable to even access clean water.

Trapped in a vicious cycle, Ahmed was unable to pursue his educational aspirations as, each day, he had to make a gruelling journey to fetch water for his family from contaminated wells.

Ahmed vividly recalls the hardships he endured as he journeyed with the family’s donkeys across harsh terrain to collect water. “I used to wake up at the crack of dawn and embark on an arduous journey on our donkeys to fetch water from miles away. Sometimes, the donkeys would tire and die, or they would drink the water we had collected. By the time I returned home, it was too late in the day to attend school regularly. It felt like my dream of pursuing my studies was slipping away,” he says.

Ahmed’s fortunes changed when Islamic Relief intervened to rehabilitate wells and construct water distribution points within his community, providing clean water for Ahmed’s family and many others.

I no longer need to travel long distances to fetch water. Clean water is easily accessible within my community, and I have more time to attend school and pursue my dreams.

Ahmed says with joy.

Ahmed’s story sheds light on the profound challenges faced by many communities who lack access to essential resources such as food and water, and the knock-on impacts this can have on their lives. In some cases, families do have access to water pumps, but the fuel or diesel needed to power them is either extremely expensive or unavailable.

Islamic Relief addressed this problem by installing solar-powered systems for the water pumps, ensuring a sustainable and reliable water supply. Not only has this provided access to clean water, but solar-powered water pumps also contribute to the fight against climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Islamic Relief’s intervention has empowered the community to envision and believe in a brighter and more promising future.

Ahmed has newfound hope and aspirations too. “Water is the essence of life, and with Islamic Relief’s intervention, our lives have changed for the better . Clean water has given us hope in the midst of despair. No longer do we worry about getting sick from dirty water, and we can instead focus on achieving our dreams. I am immensely grateful to Islamic Relief Yemen for their support.”

Working alongside communities in Yemen, we can create ripples of change that transform the prospects of families like Ahmed’s for generations to come. By ensuring access to essential resources such as clean water, we can ignite a spark of hope in young minds like Ahmed, helping them to overcome adversity and achieve their dreams.

Ahmed’s story is a powerful testament to the impact of Islamic Relief’s interventions on communities across Yemen. Through the provision of sustainable water solutions, Islamic Relief has enabled meaningful transformations, empowering communities to build a future filled with promise and hope.

Find out more about work in Yemen and how you can continue supporting communities in need, here.

*Name changed to protect confidentiality.