With the support of her community, Project Ethiopia helped Minew build a sturdy iron-roofed home, providing her family with a safe and stable living environment. She continues to strive for a better future for her daughters.

Diyene is a former recipient of a new iron roof who lives in the Zagray Zubra community. She was a widow with no income and no shelter, relying on relatives for a place to live. Then the community came together to provide Diyene with a small plot of land on which to build her new home.

Dagne and Emebet, residents of the Warkit kebele in Dangla, have no lack of words to describe how their new solar lantern provided by Project Ethiopia has made a significant difference in the quality of life for their family.

Meet Shega. Shega was born in the community of East Zelessa in the Dangla countryside. After completing the highest level - 6th grade - at the community primary school, Shega’s parents sent her to live with her elder sister in Wollega (located in southwest Ethiopia) to continue her education. With the small salary she earned working in a hotel, Shega’s sister could support both of them. Soon after she arrived, however, her sister became ill. For the next several months, Shega delayed her education and focused on caring for her sister.

Tiru, age 78, lives in the Wufta Dati community located 20 km north of Dangla town. When Project Ethiopia began working in her area this year, she was one of 37 homes to receive iron roofing intended to create a dry, healthy living environment for those with no other means to afford such an improvement. Her new home would not have been possible, however, if it weren’t for the generosity and support of her community.

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.

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.

A dry home is one of the most significant improvements that can be made for a rural family. Traditional homes in the countryside have grass roofing that often leaks during the rainy season. As well, the grass used for roofing is not sustainable because grasslands have been reduced by population growth and farm expansion.