Ethiopia Blogs

From February 2021 to the end of January 2024, the "Empowerment of Women through Community-Participatory Water Supply Project in Oida District" has successfully concluded. In this report, we present results of the project by comparing the findings from the initial conditions with the final assessments of the current situation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Grant Assistance Program for Japanese NGOs (commonly known as N-Ren) provides funds to Japanese NGOs in developing countries to support economic and social development projects in line with Official Development Assistance (ODA) policies. Through this grant, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has supported HOPE's projects in the Oyda District for the past three years.

Here in Ethiopia we celebrate a variety of festivals, but from the end of August to the end of September when the rainy season comes to an end is the most festive time of the year. I would like to introduce three festivals that are held in Ethiopia during this time of year.

The HOPE Study Tour is called UNION, an acronym for Understanding Needs In Other Nations, and the tours include project site visits that are designed to help participants "learn about problems faced by people living in poverty in developing countries and to understand their needs.

In mid-March, I, Taiga, was sent to Sawla (in Oyda District, south Ethiopia) where HOPE is currently implementing a project. This was my first time to set foot not only in Ethiopia but on the African continent as well. When I arrived at the airport, the first words I muttered were, "I'm in trouble."

There are about 2 billion people in the world who do not have access to latrines of which many practice open defecation in the outdoors. As a result, the public’s sanitation suffers and children with weak immune systems often fall victim to diarrhea.

In the middle of September, we held a 3-day training workshop to assist in the creation of Cluster Level Associations (or CLAs) for our SHG groups from all four wards of our project sites. About 50 participants attended including the newly elected CLA representatives and our own Community Field Educators from each ward, together with a few government officials from the wards, the Oyda District and from Gofa Zone.

The words "sanitation" and "hygiene" are not something we think about often, although these habits are ingrained in our everyday lives and perhaps practice slightly more consciously these days due to the pandemic.

Muluneh is the Livelihoods Coordinator at HOPE Ethiopia's Field Office. He leads the implementation of the Self-Help Group (SHG) Program and the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) Program on the ground with the help of the Project Officers who report to him.