Project Ethiopia

Please consider making a donation today of any amount. Your donation will also be matched dollar for dollar!

Mission

Project Ethiopia partners with rural communities to create hope and opportunity through education, healthy homes, and economic resilience.

Description

Project Ethiopia is a volunteer organization that works side-by-side with the community in Dangla, Ethiopia, a remote, rural area in the northwest part of the country. One of the most important attributes of Project Ethiopia is the variety of ways we engage with individuals and communities. Our efforts support primary schools and university students, improvements to create healthy homes with iron roofs, and provide economic empowerment through Farmers' Associations and micro loans.  

This year, GiveBig donations will support economic resilience and empowerment through two main areas: building of new homes to families most in need, and providing low interest (5%) micro loans to farmers, the majority of whom will be women.  Micro loan recipients are chosen carefully from farmers who are members of the savings and loan association and have saved at least one-sixth of the money they wish to borrow. Microloans have been used to enhance honey and dairy production, buy lambs and goats for fattening to sell at festivals, secure garden supplies to grow vegetables for sale at local markets, and to start small businesses. All of the micro loans we have awarded have so far have been paid in full by recipients within the payment period allotted.  

The story below illustrates how Project Ethiopia partners with communities to build heathy homes. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar by our Board Matching Fund until we reach our goal of $25,000! 

Introducing Deje Bitew Fentahum Deje's life began in the town of Manguda, in western Ethiopia. Throughout her life she has endured periods of hardship and extreme poverty, but has now ended up over 50 years later in changed circumstances. These changes led to her recent comment, “Project Ethiopia came to Manguda to relieve the pain of the poor. Because of Project Ethiopia, my future is changed. May God bless Project Ethiopia.” 

When Deje was a child, she lived over 3.5 miles from her nearest elementary school, but managed to walk the distance twice a day through grade 7. The nearest secondary school was over twice that distance from her home in Dangla town. At this time, Deje also contacted an eye illness which affected both her eyes. Her parents could not afford the cost of medical treatment, and she lost the sight of one eye, which forced her to end her studies. At age 20, Deje married a local man from a nearby village. They both worked as day laborers, and they lived in a simple grass hut, but had no land or farm animals to call their own. They worked hard and raised 3 girls, but their economic situation never improved significantly.

Last year Project Ethiopia came to the village of Manguda to build schools and houses for the poor. Project Ethiopia surveys the entire community to determine the neediest families.  The potential recipient list is then shared with village elders and church leaders to ensure accurate, fair, and transparent selection of recipients, most of which are headed by the elderly, widowed and disabled.  

Deje was selected among the poorest residents to receive a new larger home with an iron roof. Deje’s younger brother and villagers helped her by providing wood for the construction of her house, and her oldest daughter covered the expenses for nails and a carpenter. Project Ethiopia provided 50 corrugated iron sheets for the roof.   The completed house accommodates all her family members, including her 3 daughters and one grandson.  

Deje’s response to her changed life: “Now my happiness is beyond my imagination. It is God’s will for this fulfillment.   I can live with honor and my daughters will work independently.  May God bless Project Ethiopia.”

Your donations will support Economic Empowerment for families in the Dangla region of Ethiopia.  Our goal is to raise $25,000 to help us provide new healthy, iron-roof homes, durable solar lanterns, farming support and low interest micro loans to families in need. Last year, 75% of our micro loans went to women.

*$500 pays for iron roofing for one house; 

*$450 pays for one micro loan

*$100 pays for interior painting and a solar lantern.   

Please consider making a donation today of any amount. Your donation will also be matched dollar for dollar until we reach our goal of $25,000!

If you prefer to send a check, please make out to Project Ethiopia and mail to:  1763 NW 62nd Street, Seattle, WA 98107.