Honoring Our Founders, Judith Sanderman and Dennis Wilkins
Congratulations to Judy Sanderman, winner of the “Mind and Heart Distinguished Alumni Award,” which she recently received from Whitworth University (‘64). Judy was nominated by a group of her colleagues, and was honored at the Alumni Dinner for the work she and her late husband Dennis Wilkins have accomplished with Project Ethiopia over the last 20 years. This honor gives us a great opportunity to interview Judy about the history and development of this amazing project.
Judy, you have said that Project Ethiopia started out as an adventure trip to Ethiopia and ended up as a retirement project. How did it all come about, and how did you meet Awoke and his brother, Workineh Genetu, our current Project Ethiopia Leaders?
Judy: My husband Dennis and I were planning a trip to Ethiopia in 2002, and we took ball point pens to pass out to children we met while travelling. On our first day in Ethiopia we hired Awoke Genetu to be our tour guide. He took us all over the countryside, explaining with great knowledge all the sites. At one point, children gathered, and we decided to pull out our pens. Awoke immediately stopped us saying firmly, “No, you can’t do that! You must give pens to the schools to give to the children; otherwise they will skip school looking for pens from tourists!” Thus started our creative thinking about possible unintended consequences to what seemed to us to be appropriate giving. I also call it “Aha Moment #1.”
How did this simple act expand into a larger project?
Judy: Returning home with $300 left over, we reflected back at the tremendous need we saw in Ethiopia. Fortunately we had saved Awoke’s business card, so we wrote the one person we trusted to make good use of our money. We asked Awoke if he could use $300 to help girls and boys equally. He told us how to wire money, and presto! Result: 25 school uniforms, 86 library books and huge boxes of teacher supplies, all for $300! These items were given to a school in a ceremony that Awoke photographed and sent to us, along with all the receipts, and news of his interview by the local radio station.
We were rather stunned at the impact of a few hundred dollars. Dennis and I had never been involved in a volunteer organization, and had no idea how they work. Perhaps that was lucky, because we had no pre-conceived notions that it would be complicated! I painted and printed note cards to sell, and we sent our earnings to Awoke. He returned receipts and reports about how it had been spent wisely. One day a friend of mine gave me a donation and said, “Judy, I really don’t want to buy any more note cards. I just want this money to go to a good cause in Ethiopia!” This was our second “Aha!” moment: People really want to give for a good cause!
Within a year Dennis and I travelled back to Ethiopia with $2,500 and received another important lesson from Awoke on appropriate giving. Unannounced, we went to an extremely poor school that Awoke knew about, and the teachers and Awoke did an instantaneous “needs assessment” while Dennis and I watched in amazement, overwhelmed in total disbelief at the poor condition of the school. Those involved, however, knew exactly what was needed, given the money we had. Our gift would buy planed wood benches with tubular steel legs, which would provide seating for 1,000 students who otherwise would be seated on dirt floors all day. Back in town a public school with a carpentry program offered to supply us with the benches we needed at the price we had. Everyone helped excitedly, loading the benches in a rented truck, and within 24 hours we delivered benches for 1,000 children for less than $2,000. This was the moment when Dennis and I knew we were in this Project for the duration. Aha Moment #3: People in need know what they need. We simply have to ask them respectfully, and listen carefully to their answer.
It sounds like this Is the moment when it became Project Ethiopia, rather than strictly personal beneficence. What did you and Dennis bring to the project in those early years?
Judy: The most important quality we brought was our own ignorance. We knew so little that we had to listen, listen, listen. We had no preconceived ideas about how to help. Because there was such overwhelming need, Dennis and I reflected on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to help us focus our work. Awoke and Workineh suggested we work in the rural area of Dangla, where they grew up and where Workineh was an outstanding and welleducated farmer. The village elders in Dangla decided on three goals they wanted to work on: Access to Education, Sanitation and Clean Water. This generated excitement in me, since our work together would improve so many lives. I also enjoyed keeping records. I started a notebook and filled it with details of all the money raised, how it was spent and who exactly was impacted by it. Dennis was an intellectual powerhouse — a constant, steady force of good ideas — who brought his own general technical knowledge and continually researched the best ways to achieve our goals. (Note: As the Project has evolved over 20 years, our leaders in Ethiopia and in the US have shifted our three areas of focus to: Access to Education, Healthy Homes, and Economic Empowerment.)
How often did you travel to Ethiopia over the years?
Judy: Dennis and I made 9 trips in the first 10 years. We decided early on not to do physical labor or take other Americans to do physical labor in Ethiopia. This had to be a local project with local initiative and local labor. Awoke and Workineh agreed, and through their collaborative spirit, were able to inspire villagers (men, women and children) in the rural area of Dangla, to give not only ideas, but also labor and materials to make the Project happen. For example, villagers provide materials for and frame the schools. (The rocky hills and depth of the water table in Dangla no longer permit hand digging of wells.) Skilled Ethiopian workers are paid by Project Ethiopia, and we also buy other necessary materials locally. A later “Aha! Moment” was the realization that buying and hiring locally has resulted in economic flourishing of local businesses (paint, cement, metal roofing, desks and delivery carts) and skilled workers such as painters, masons, and tailors. This is a win-win situation!
How were you and Dennis received by the Ethiopians?
Dennis and Judy during a 2012 visit to Ethiopia
Judy: Dennis and I in our 60’s represented old people to the Ethiopians (Ethiopia had a life expectancy of only 42 when we started the project). We were not only “old,” but Dennis was visibly impacted by Parkinson’s Disease, and the villagers couldn’t believe how much we cared about and sacrificed for people so far away. We joined people in their everyday activities, learned a little of their language, stayed in local lodging, shopped at the market for our food, and enjoyed many cultural exchanges. Everyone rushed to help, encourage, and work on the Project, because they saw Dennis selflessly giving his time, energy, and expertise. They could never believe he was “here in Ethiopia when he could be at home, being taken care of!” (In fact, Dennis’ doctors said that his passion for the Project slowed the progression of Parkinson’s.) Gratitude was expressed in so many different ways by so many different people. There have been so many heartwarming community ceremonies in the passing years, all of which sustain our belief in community-driven projects.
What has kept you going all these years?
Judy: The help given through Project Ethiopia has given us the most joy we have ever experienced! Our simple project has expanded in so many ways and touched so many lives. However, the deep sense of gratitude is actually ours. We are deeply grateful for the generous spirit of Awoke and Workineh, whose love for their community has inspired the entire Project.
