Zarifa, a 27-year-old from Al Ain, Baalbek, opened up to Oxfam about the dreadful experiences her community faced due to inaccessibility to water and how women were impacted by it.
Back in November 2022, Zarifa joined Oxfam in a community consultation session for the “Sustainable safe access to water for Lebanese and refugees in Al Ain, Baalbek and Bchetfine, Chouf” project funded by the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF), to solarize the Al Ain water pumping station.
November11, 2022. Al Ain Municipality, Al Ain, Baalbek. ZarifaYouness and other women at the community consultation focus group.
Photo credit: Dani Farah, MEAL Officer, Oxfam in Lebanon.
Living with scarce water resources meant enduring up to 10 days without access to water, leaving Al Ain residents to collect money from community members to buy costly fuel to pump or truck water to different neighborhoods. An unfortunate reality unfolded where the neighborhood with deeper pockets had priority access, leaving others desperate and deprived.
“Before establishing the solar water pumping station in Al Ain, life was a constant struggle, she told Oxfam. “We had no electricity, no water, and frustration was mounting.”
However, the burdens of water inaccessibility disproportionately affected women. As the primary managers of household water, they bore the emotional and economic distress of not being able to meet basic needs. Decision-making around water usage and rationing sparked tensions within the households, leaving women overwhelmed and unheard.
But then, Oxfam’s solar water pumping station brought a wave of relief. “Now, water is available round the clock, pumped every other day, meeting all our needs,” Zarifa said with a big smile. “We even have access to clean drinking water in Al Ain.“
May 30, 2023. Al Ain Solar Water Pumping Station, Al Ain, Baalbek
Photo credit: Nour Ezzeddine, Field Engineer, Oxfam in Lebanon
“We had to make difficult choices,” she continued. “Cleaning one day meant sacrificing washing clothes, or even daily showering.”
The “Sustainable safe access to water for Lebanese and refugees in Ain Baalbek and Bchetfine, Chouf” project, with its solar water pumping station and community-based activities, brought change to Al Ain that went far beyond water provision. It gave women the opportunity to participate in public life, improved living conditions, and fostered a sense of unity in Al Ain’s community.
About the project:
The project “Sustainable safe access to water for Lebanese and refugees in Ain Baalbek and Bchetfine, Chouf” was implemented by Oxfam between July 2022 and July 2023 with the financial support of the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF). This project in Baalbek and Chouf districts aimed at improving safe access to clean water for a total of 31,272 people.