Project Ethiopia serves rural villages in the Dangla woreda of the nation’s Amhara region. But where is Dangla, what’s a “woreda,” and what does it really look like?

"Dennis will be remembered by thousands of children who are attending schools built by him.  He will be remembered by the poorest of the poor who are living in good houses now. He will be remembered by thousands of people who got access to clean water.  He will be remembered by many thousands for all the wise decisions he made and all the good work that he did." 

Happy World Water Day 2018! First declared by the UN in 1993, World Water Day focuses attention on the importance of universal access to clean water and the sustainable management of freshwater sources.

Work in the new year is well underway to bring new schools, safe water, dry homes, better sanitation, and farming support to communities throughout the Dangla area.

This past October, I had the privilege to travel to Dangla, meet the Project Ethiopia team, and visit many of our project sites. It was a quick and jam-packed week. From participating in the University Transition Awards ceremony within a couple of hours of our arrival, to witnessing the formation of two new farmers’ associations complete with a very lively nomination process to select the leadership, to visiting 10 schools helped by our project, I was so inspired by all that has been accomplished and the clear vision for what is yet to be done.

After five months of planning and many volunteer hours, Project Ethiopia hosted its first fundraising dinner – Empowering Villagers, Transforming Lives – this past October at the Ethiopian Community in Seattle.

Meet Abayneh. He graduated from university in June and now has a full-time job! Just six years ago, this outcome seemed all, but impossible.

Perhaps you know about Project Ethiopia’s efforts to increase access to education and build healthy village communities, but do you know about our work bringing farmers together to learn new ideas, address the challenges many face on their farms, and share solutions?

Imagine you begin your elementary school education in a small classroom with dirt floors and no desks. Parents from the village do their best to teach reading and writing, but only up to 3rd grade. Eventually a government-sponsored school for grades 1 – 8 with classrooms, desks, curricula, and teachers is built near your village. The pathway to high school is now possible where previously no such opportunity existed.