Turning the tide
The cycle is the same in Ethiopia year after year. Drought then famine. To reverse this cycle – and combat malnutrition – we try to ensure that farmers are not always victims to nature by providing them with small-scale irrigation. We also provide training on modern agricultural production, including bee keeping and sheep and goat breeding, as well as supplying farmers with oxen to pull plows, other livestock and seeds. So that the people are not as dependent on agriculture, we help the people develop other income-generating activities to promote resilience within the community.
Addis Ababa has a population of 750,000, 50,000 of whom have HIV. There are only three doctors. We are training community volunteers to go into homes and ensure that the daily needs of these individuals, including cooking, cleaning, bathing, and taking medications, are met. Dr. Kerkering, ChildFund Technical Consultant for Health,believes that because of the home-based care workers, individuals with AIDS face a chronic treatable illness rather than a death sentence.
“In parts of East Africa, they have a name for this remarkable turnaround—'The Lazarus Syndrome.’ It happens when a person who is dreadfully ill with AIDS is able to get back on his feet within three to four weeks of starting the medications. … You can sense the importance of these home-based care workers.” – Dr. Kerkering
However, treatment is only one piece of the puzzle. We also work with children, youth, parents and community leaders to provide HIV/AIDS prevention and testing interventions as well as make available social networks to counter stigma and discrimination.
We take a holistic approach to protecting and caring for the vulnerable children of Ethiopia. We have established 153 access points for safe drinking water. And every day, we work to improve access to quality education by constructing schools, classrooms and libraries. As a result of our work, the primary school enrollment rate is up to 86 percent in the areas in which we work. Financial and tutoring services are provided to those in need.
The smallest steps lead to the most stunning successes in Ethiopia. Help us give the people of this country a way to not only survive but thrive.
