Girargie: A Shining Success
One night, 21-year-old Getanesh’s young son fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea, a victim of her village’s unprotected water supply. She knew it was serious, but with no medical facility nearby, she carried him on her back four hours to the nearest clinic. The next day, her two-year-old son died. Getanesh lifted his body on to her back and carried him home to be buried. Today, she sees him only in her dreams, but she is reminded of him each day, whenever she sees children playing.
Getanesh’s story is a tragically common around the village of Giragie, where just last year, its 7,624 residents suffered without access to proper medical care, clean water or schools. There was a serious need for change in this village, and that’s where a new story begins.
In Giragie, Glimmer has partnered with the community to construct a new medical center. Five nearby villages, with a total population of 25,000, now have access to Girargie's complete medical care, including pregnancy care. The new medical center includes inpatient and outpatient buildings, a pharmacy building, and latrines.
A deep borehole well provides clean running water at the health center and water distribution points at the new schools. Five new elementary and middle schools have been constructed consisting of 20 classrooms with separate latrines for girls and boys. Latrines restore dignity to schoolchildren who are no longer forced to hide behind bushes.
The spirit of partnership and commitment between Glimmer, our implementing partners and the local community, enabled this transformation to occur within 12 months of funding the projects. This kind of transformation is unheard of in the traditional, bureaucratic, institutional world of Aid and NGO.
Giragie has become a model of an “integrated community development,” where 100% of a community's basic needs and services are provided. The progress in Giragie needs to be seen to be believed - and shown to those who are negative or skeptical about international aid and development. It’s a shining example of success, and what can be done with a very different approach.
