KufaMuzie is a Pump attendant at a rehabilitated public water point in Hamatalendakebele, Ethiopia. She is 38 years old and her legs have a disability due to a developmental disorder. KufaMuzie is the mother of a son and four daughters. Her 6-year-old daughter has autism and, as a consequence, her oldest daughter dropped out of school in Primary to help her mother with economic problems. The family’s income depends on subsistence agriculture on their private property of only 0.5 hectares.
She explains: "As a housewife, before becoming a pump attendant, I was frustrated for not being able to earn income for my family because of my disability. I was worried about my daughter with her autism and I also felt lonely and isolated. After the project started in our kebele, Water Action [Water Finns' partner in Ethiopia] and the community made a decision to prioritize persons with disabilities for the pump attendant positions. This was a really important decision for me, as I was then selected for the position.
After having started working as a pump attendant, I earn four hundred birr in gross salary every month, which is a really important additional source of income for my family. I now feel that I am a popular person within the society and the community treats me respectfully. I don't anymore have the worry and frustration I used to. Even my own children respect me more as they understand that I can work and be an important member of society."
