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!

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…

Bags packed? Check! Passport in hand? Check! It was finally time to leave for the airport.
I’ll admit, I was feeling anxious as I boarded the plane for my first trip to Ethiopia. I knew that two weeks was not going to be enough and in my head I was already planning my second trip. But wait — I had not even left Seattle yet! “Stay present,” I had to tell myself. “Enjoy every single moment on this trip.”

Are you familiar with the tiny, gluten-free and super nutritious grain called Teff?  A relatively new introduction to U.S. grocery stores, teff is believed to have been cultivated in Ethiopia and Eritrea before 1000 BC! The word teff originates from the Amharic word “teffa” which translates as “lost”, due to its very tiny size. Three thousand grains weigh just one gram (1/28 of 1 ounce!), or 150 teff grains equal 1 kernel of wheat!

Thank you to our guests, donors, and sponsors for another successful Empowering Villagers, Transforming Lives fundraising dinner in April! We are excited to report that we raised $51,000 for community-led projects which will include…

Did you know that Ethiopia celebrates the new year or Enkutatash in September? September 11th – or Meskerem 1st, according to the Ethiopian calendar – marks the first day of the Ethiopian New Year.

This past spring, Project Ethiopia was the recipient of an international programs grant from one of our most faithful supporters, the Kent Rotary Club. This most recent grant will make it possible to provide University Transition Awards to 25 Dangla high school graduates who will be leaving for university in September.