A community coming together for water

Maya* is a 30 year old widow and mother of one from northern Syria whose husband was tragically killed in a mine explosion, leaving the family destitute. Photo: Concern Worldwide.

News23 November 2017Cian Purcell-Milton

Amidst the ongoing horror of war in Syria, access to clean water is bringing hope to a family and community in the north of the country.

A struggling household

Maya* is a 30 year old widow and mother of one from northern Syria who has been living with her step parents since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. Her husband was tragically killed in a mine explosion earlier this year and the household is now solely reliant on his monthly pension of 25,000 SYP (€40) and food vouchers provided by Concern.

Until this year, Maya’s family was like many others in Syria; they lived in a partially destroyed house that lacked basic running water for drinking and washing. This meant that they were forced to spend what little money they had on unsafe water from wells in neighbouring villages. This lack of water further impacted the family’s crops as, without water, their trees became withered and produced barely any fruit.

A community coming together

In February 2017 however, Maya and her local community came together and approached Concern to repair the town’s water station. With support from the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), Concern successfully repaired the water station which now provides 80,000 litres of safe, clean water to 1,750 individuals.

A future with water

The water from the station has renewed our life again, I feel comfortable when we are using the water network now, because I know the water is safe for my child to drink.”

Maya’s family and the local community now no longer have to purchase unsafe water from neighbouring villages which drastically reduces the risk of waterborne diseases and also means they have more money to spend on other essential items. Regular access to water will also allow Maya’s grandfather to nurture their trees back to full health.