Amsha Dhamen lives in Tamnine el Tahta, Lebanon, with her husband and son, who are both disabled. Daily life is hard and, until recently, it was made even harder due to her weekly struggle to access water.

“We used to get our water from the water tanks, which are located on the rooftop,” Amsha says. “They needed to be refilled every five days in summer, less so in winter. Each time, we paid around 25.000 Lebanese pounds (€15).

“It was such a painful procedure… First, we had to walk all the way to the man who brought us water. When he came, we put the hose on the rooftop, where the water tanks were. Someone had to stay down below, someone stayed on top and another person stood next to the water tank and we passed the hose to each other. In winter, when there was snow and ice, we suffered a lot.”

A project funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund and implemented by the Italian NGO GVC addresses these problems by helping refugees and their host communities obtain access to reliable and sustainable water services.

“Now that we are connected to the water and we have a meter installed, we won’t have to struggle with the hose anymore,” Amsha says. “It will be cheaper. And if I can’t afford to pay in one go, they say I can pay in several instalments. We will be happier and able to see some seeds and plants grow at our doorstep.”