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Written by Seifu Ibssa
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East African Village Outreach Annual Report, 2008
This has been a year of growth and encouragement. Projects have been completed,
programs have continued to grow, and new projects have been identified and funded for 2009. We have learned a lot in these few years and feel 2008 was productive. We are grateful that we have had the opportunity to make a little difference in a few lives.
EDUCATION
Kindergarten (KG)
After visiting several schools in various parts of Ethiopia, we are pleased with the physical quality of our school. Desks, plastered walls, cement floors, and window glass are not typical for most schools. Fencing of the property is 40% complete and we now have spring water piped to the property.
Over 130 young children are enrolled in four half day sessions taught by two government trained teachers, assisted by an evangelist.
We are indebted to Pastor Hiruy and Projects Coordinator Mikibib Tasew of Harvest
Church of God Ethiopia for their administrations over the last three years. The small number of Christians in Ajo still meet and grow in number.
High School
We are in our third year of enabling qualified students the opportunity to continue their education. This is a cooperative venture between EAVO and parents of the students. EAVO provides housing and supplies in the nearest town with a high school and the parents send food weekly via foot, donkey or bus.
The nearest 9th and 10th grade high school is in Harbu Chulule and the nearest 11th and 12th grade is in Tulu Bolo. We are indebted to Hailu Ibssa for making this possible.
We congratulate the 18 students that qualified for the 11th grade. Two girls and one boy opted for the “Teacher Training Institute”. We wish them well, and are pleased to have been able to make this possible for them.
We have added a “Youth Center” for the seventy-two 9th and 10th grade students in Harbu Chulule. We also have funded a full time evangelist through the Guenet Church of Ethiopia. This person will mentor and tutor our students as well as other students in the town.
We now have the land and a permit to build a High School in Acheber. We will have to seek outside funding for this project.
WATER
Roben Jericha (Becho)
In May, the drillers hit water in the village area of Roben Jericha in the Awash area. By July, the pump handle was presented to the water committee set up to oversee the use of the well. What was a vision for EAVO’s visiting team in 2006 became a reality. The people now have an abundant supply of clean, safe drinking water instead of the distant polluted river water source they had been using. This project was coordinated by the Guenet Church’s Development and Welfare Branch.
Ajo
We were blessed to have Bob Gross and Lee Jimison of Lakeside Church in Folsom, CA design and construct a spring water delivery system to the community and to our KG school yard. In addition they donated funds to provide glass for the windows at the school to keep out the frigid winds. These long term projects are now a reality.
DEVELOPMENT
Roben Jericha (Becho)
A village committee was established to prioritize their needs for the area for 2009. This committee will communicate with interested parties in Addis Ababa, the Guenet Church, and EAVO.
Acheber
An agreement was reached between EAVO and Ethiopian Tree Fund Foundation to
begin an ambitious program involving agro-forestation. EAVO will subsidize the program and ETFF will organize and train farmers. The plan calls for 240 farmers from four districts to plant 2400 apple trees as well as an equal number of indigenous trees.
Some of the farmers will receive training in beekeeping and mushroom production. The potential for income, diversified nutrition, and trees to control erosion in this deforested area make this a worthwhile effort. With success, this can improve the Acheber area as area farmers can produce crops for market in addition to their subsistence grains.
Edoy
Improvements continue for the school at Edoy. We were able to meet the request for funds for a latrine.
EMPLOYMENT
We are pleased to announce that we were able to reach an agreement with Hailu Ibssa which will allow him to work on-site for EAVO on a full time basis. He has been an indispensable part in the growth of EAVO for the last four years. He has donated his time, his wisdom, his ideas and diligently worked to oversee and coordinate many of the Acheber projects
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Term 2009 – 2011
- Jim Reese will continue as Board Chairman
- Seifu Ibssa will continue as Treasurer
- Mary Staples has resigned as Secretary and is replaced by Dr. Olana Aberra.
Mary will assume Board Member role.
- Tizita Abebe continues as Board Member
- Lana Reese continues as Board Member
- Aberra Damessa is a new Board Member
- Hailu Ibssa resigned as Board Member in order to take on employment by EAVO
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