We have just returned from another life changing trip to Ethiopia! We got to visit Dali, the area that our 2009/2010 campaign supported, and saw the life changing effect that it has had on the community. We were greeted by over 3,000 people and got to walk through each of the new classrooms as the children were singing and clapping. The 7 water projects are all completed now, and at each one we visited smiling people who were filling their water jugs with fresh clean water from faucets. The health post was busy the day we arrived, with mothers and children waiting for vaccinations and medical care which they previously did not have. These people are truly joyful and thankful for getting to experience the effects of the generosity of many donors! God bless you all for this!

We also got a chance to spend some time in Tercha town, the administrative capital of the Dawro zone, the same region that Dali is located in. In our visit to Tercha, we witnessed many of the same horrible conditions as in Dali. The current source of drinking water for most of the town is a spring that collects in dirty pools of water that also acts as a drinking spot for the animals. To witness mothers filling their jugs with this water to be taken to home and drank by their children is a pretty emotional sight. The school in Tercha is dilapidated, damp and dark, made of mud and sticks with not enough desks or chairs. Many of the children either sit on the floor or a piece of wood on the floor.

Probably most importantly, Tercha is home to the only hospital in the entire region that serves the over 550,000 people of the Dawro Zone. They desperately need a maternity ward for the women in the region. They currently have no separate facilities for women giving birth or any complications that can occur. This will have such a profound impact on the women of the region, to have a place to go that will provide them and their child the care that is needed. The hospital also currently has no constant source of water, as the electricity fails often. The hospital needs a water tank to ensure that there is water when the electricity goes out.

WithEthiopia was started with a group of Ethiopian Adoptive Families, whose goal is to involve our local communities here and bring about real change to the regions where our children are from in Ethiopia. We are beginning a campaign to bring hope to the people of Tercha!!! The campaign will raise $75,000 that will go towards the larger Tercha project, which will consist of:

WATER:
* 12 water distribution points to bring clean water to the people of Tercha
* A water pipeline extension project to the school in Tercha will provide children have clean water

HEALTH:
* A new maternity ward at the hospital complete with new medical equipment
* New latrine block at the hospital (including hygiene and sanitation training)
* A 10,000 liter water tank at the hospital

EDUCATION:
* 4 new furnished school blocks, each with four classrooms, for a total of 16 new classrooms
* 2 new latrine blocks at the school (including hygiene and sanitation training)

We have seen the amazing impact and change for the community of Dali, so we would ask for your help once again in bringing about hope to the people of Tercha!! We would be honored if many of you would join us again this year, and once again bring about real change.

We can personally attest to Glimmer of Hope’s amazing progress in Ethiopia everywhere, and it’s wonderful integrity and model for change. Their passion and hard work for the people of Ethiopia is both inspiring and contagious. With the new Tercha project, we are trying some new things to facilitate people’s involvement to give them a more direct hand themselves. If you would like to create your own sub-campaign, click on the link on the right hand side of this page . Remember, 100% of your donations go directly to the projects, as a Glimmer of Hope pays all overhead expenses through their endowment.

Thank you for your support!!