ONA x Water for Good: Supporting Clean Water Access in Ethiopia

A shared responsibility to origin.

Every coffee we serve begins long before it reaches our roastery.

It begins with land, climate, and the people who cultivate it. Many of the coffees we work with come from Ethiopia – a country that has shaped the global identity of specialty coffee and continues to influence how we understand flavour, terroir, and tradition.

But exceptional coffee does not exist in isolation from community wellbeing.

Access to clean water remains one of the most fundamental challenges facing many producing regions. Reliable water access affects health, education, food security, and long-term economic stability. Without it, the foundations that support coffee production – and daily life – remain fragile.

Through our partnership with Water for Good, we are contributing to sustainable, community-led water infrastructure in the Nensebo region of Ethiopia.

Why Nensebo?

In 2015, communities in Nensebo had no access to clean water. Since then, Water for Good has worked to improve access across the region. Today, access has increased by approximately 30 percent – meaningful progress, but far from complete.

Nensebo is located within Ethiopia’s broader coffee-growing landscape – a country that continues to influence how the world understands flavour, variety, and origin. Many of the coffees we roast and share trace their lineage back to this region and others like it; yet alongside this global recognition, many rural communities still face daily challenges that are far less visible.

Access to reliable water determines far more than convenience. It affects school attendance, health outcomes, food preparation, and the time available for farming and household responsibilities. In remote, mountainous areas, water collection can mean hours of walking to unsafe sources; reliable infrastructure changes that equation entirely.

Water for Good’s approach in Nensebo is deliberately long-term. Rather than scattered installations, their strategy focuses on building sustainable systems, supporting maintenance, and embedding hygiene education so each water point remains functional for years. Concentrating efforts in a defined region allows for measurable progress, accountability, and lasting community ownership.

For us, focusing on Nensebo is not symbolic. It is intentional, and a commitment to supporting infrastructure in a region that has long contributed to the global coffee community.

Progress so far

Together with Project Origin and ONA Flagship Cafés, fourteen water points have either been completed or are underway. Of these, three have been funded by ONA Coffee, one funded by ONA Coffee flagship stores, and ten funded by our green bean partner, Project Origin. 

Each water point requires between USD $5,000 and $8,000 to construct and local manual labor is preferred to also create jobs for the community. 

The ambition is clear: 250 water points over the next 7 years, to create more accessibility to cleaner drinking water, and improve water access for the communities of the region for generations to come.

The March Campaign

From March 1 to International Water Day on March 22, we will dedicate a portion of every online retail coffee purchase to funding the next water point:

·       $3 donated per 200g bag

·       $12 donated per 1kg bag

Participating coffees include ONA blends alongside selected single origin offerings. This is not a separate product or an add-on. It is integrated into the coffees we already roast and share – many of which trace their lineage back to Ethiopia.

ONA Coffee flagship stores will also participate. On March 22, one dollar from every coffee sold in our Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney flagships will be donated to the initiative.

Looking forward to a future of better water access

Supporting clean water access is not a campaign with a finish line. It is part of a broader belief that the future of specialty coffee depends on the resilience of producing communities. Infrastructure, education, and long-term stewardship matter just as much as variety, processing, and score.

This initiative is one way we can contribute meaningfully – not as observers of origin, but as participants and partners in its future.

Follow our updates throughout March on Instagram via @onacoffee, or subscribe to our newsletter here.