Our Approach
HIRE & BUY
LOCALLY
Project Ethiopia uses our resources to buy the materials directly from local businesses and merchants. Additionally, Project Ethiopia funds are used to hire local workers for project tasks that require skills such as masonry, carpentry, and plumbing. Nearly 99% of the funding spent on project work goes directly to local businesses, shop keepers, tradespeople, and project workers.
We pay fair prices for materials and volunteer stipends, but not an excessive profit which many expect from non-governmental organizations. This deep commitment to the local community and economy has won the support of Ethiopian workers and merchants. When made aware of Project Ethiopia ’s volunteer status and its strong reputation in the community, merchants have taken a lower profit because of the satisfaction they feel when helping the community.
Our local approach strives to provide as much benefit to the community as possible by multiplying the impact of Project Ethiopia ’s giving.
- When a school needs desks, we purchase the desks ourselves from a business in Dangla and deliver them with the help of local cart drivers.
- For the cow feeders provided to members of our Farmers’ Association, we work with a local business that recycles used tires to hold the harvested grass for their animals.
- Project Ethiopia funds have a double impact: students now have desks, farmers have feeders, and local workers and merchants have increased income for their families.
Ultimately, the ripple effect of these investments is helping to alleviate poverty for thousands of villagers throughout the Dangla area.
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MISSION IN ACTION:
THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT
There are many examples of how Project Ethiopia funds have a multiplier effect in the local community and economy. One such example involves a local cart driver who often worked with Project Ethiopia delivering materials to project sites. Over time he was able to save enough money to purchase two additional carts, renting them out to other workers in the area. Not only did his family experience an increase in income, but two other families were also impacted by his hard work and planning.
Another example involved a stone crusher who had the difficult job of making gravel for construction projects. He worked every chance he could to supply gravel for Project Ethiopia and eventually saved enough money so that he could attend school. When he graduated from school, he proudly showed his certificate to the Project Ethiopia team leaders and no longer is limited to working as a stone crusher to support his family.
DID YOU KNOW?
A $200 donation will provide a student with a university transition award
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Our work to help create opportunities for families and communities in rural Ethiopia is only possible because of YOU. Learn about the different ways you can partner with Project Ethiopia, connect with others, and make a difference. Join us today!
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