First off, I must confess that I’ve never been to Ethiopia. Up until recently, I never really knew or even thought about the country very much. All that changed, however, when I happened to stop at a Project Ethiopia exhibit at volunteer open house I attended two years ago.

Normally, we would gather to celebrate in person; sharing stories of hope and inspiration from Dangla, Ethiopia. Since we started planning the celebration over a year ago, much has changed in our world. Meeting in person to share a dinner together and raise funds to support community-led development work will not be possible this fall so . . . we are going virtual!

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in June, more than 500 women and men spread across the wide grassy area in front of the local Orthodox church. They were there as part of Project Ethiopia’s latest efforts to provide outreach, education, and soap to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable rural families.

It’s 6:28 pm. The sun has set and you must spend the rest of your waking hours in darkness. The only option for lighting your home is an expensive, inefficient kerosene lamp that exposes your family to toxic fumes. This is the reality for the majority of families living in rural Ethiopia.

When students return to Dangla Meskerem Primary School in September, a beautiful, new building for science instruction and learning will greet them on campus. The new lab replaces a dilapidated building lacking electricity and proper storage for lab and teaching materials and will serve students in grades 3 – 8 (nearly 900 in total).

So much has changed in our communities and in our world in a very short time. No matter where we live on the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives and our communities in some way. This is now a worldwide shared experience across geography, culture, and economic condition.

In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set forth, for the first time, fundamental human rights that should be universally protected for all people including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.

As we wrap up the remaining work for 2019, we also take the time to identify our next projects and make plans for 2020. Next year we are excited to continue our community-led projects in all three impact areas – Access to Education, Healthy Homes, and Economic Opportunities. This will include...

Sometimes all it takes is a strong, clear vision and a tarp.At least that was case for Zagray Primary School located in a hilly, rocky area approximately 8 km from Dangla town. In 2008, local parents started an alternative school (a school that teaches only reading and writing and does not have grade levels) under some trees at the current site of Zagray Primary. They started with a strong desire to give their children an education and a study tarp strung between the trees to provide cover from the sun and rain.