Partners in the Horn of Africa

In my search for a good charity in Ethiopia, I stumbled upon Partners in the Horn of Africa. It is a very worthy charity with 100% of donations going straight to their projects in Ethiopia - all operating expenses are paid personally by Partners' directors and the Columbia Foundation.

Part of what makes this charity so great are their diverse projects, that require their Ethiopian 'partners' to put up 15-20% of the project costs, usually in the form of labour. Some of my favourite projects include:

-digging wells
-homes for HIV orphans
-micro loans for women

There will be a Great Big Run for Africa this fall from West Bank to Enderby, BC, which my sis V and I are currently forming a team for and we plan to run to raise money for Partners in October.

The great thing is that I have been in contact with one of the Directors who lives in Ethiopia for half the year. There may be a chance that I can go and see Partners' projects while we are there. (I am crossing my fingers)

check out their website:

www.partnersinthehorn.org

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway.

Author Unknown

Some facts about Ethiopia

* Ethiopia, Africa’s oldest independent country, boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage. With its 71 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous country on the continent, after Nigeria. A landlocked country, Ethiopia is just slightly larger than Ontario.

* The 2004 UN Human Development Index ranks Ethiopia 170th out of 177 countries.

* Ethiopia’s infant mortality rate is 114 per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 171 per 1,000 births (2002 data).

* Some 29 million people, or 42 percent of the population, are undernourished and 47 percent of the country’s children are underweight for their age.

* Between 1.5 and 2.5 million Ethiopians are living with HIV and AIDS, while of a total 4.6 million orphans (children under 17), 539,000 were orphaned due to AIDS.

* More than three-quarters of Ethiopians do not have access to safe drinking water, the highest percentage in the world.

* Agriculture contributes about 43 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, accounting for about 90 percent of export earnings. However, inefficient markets, outdated production techniques and lack of credit hamper advancements in agriculture.

* As a member of the implementation committee for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)—the African-led strategic framework for the continent’s sustainable growth and development—Ethiopia has also been one of the strongest advocates for good governance and country-led poverty reduction programs.

* Natural resources are the foundation of the Ethiopian economy. As a result of rapid population growth, climate change and other factors, the quality of renewable natural resources such as land, water and forests has now deteriorated. This in turn has affected agricultural productivity.

* Water, one of Ethiopia’s biggest natural assets, is key to the country’s development. However, only about 197,000 hectares are currently under irrigation—about five percent of the 3.7 million hectares that could be irrigated. Moreover, the irrigated land accounts for only three percent of the country’s total crop production. Ethiopia also has a vast but underexploited hydroelectric power potential, requiring large-scale investments.

* Chronic malnutrition in children is a huge challenge for Ethiopia. The country has among the world’s highest levels of stunting (low height-for-age), which affects more than half of all children. Inadequate diet has led to high levels of micronutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin A and iodine; this leads to blindness, brain damage or even death, for thousands of young children every year.

* Life expectancy is only 45 years for men, and 46 years for women.

* Ethiopia’s population is expected to reach 93.8 million by 2015.

* Women in Ethiopia face significant social, economic and political barriers.

* Although women are responsible for at least half of all subsistence agriculture, their role is not recognized.

* Fewer opportunities and unequal access to education mean that women typically earn half of what men earn in Ethiopia.

International Aid

Some food for thought about world aid. Canada made a pledge in 2002 to donate 0.7% of its national income as aid to the poorest countries. We are still only at 0.28%, a shameful 16th place of the 22 nations who made that pledge, and no plans to work towards our commitment.

Below is an excerpt from the website www.freerice.com:

"International Aid ― A Solution

Quick Summary: Almost all of the deaths from hunger and disease that you see on this site can be stopped. The cost to do this is about $195 billion a year, according to the United Nations. Twenty-two developed countries below have pledged to work towards each giving 0.7% (a little less than 1%) of their national income in international aid, which would raise the $195 billion. Some countries are slow to meet their pledge.

COUNTRY For each $100 earned in the country, how much is donated in aid Aid as % of income How close the country is to reaching the 0.7% goal
Norway 95 cents 0.95 Already reached goal
Sweden 93 cents 0.93 Already reached goal
Luxembourg 90 cents 0.90 Already reached goal
Denmark 81 cents 0.81 Already reached goal
Netherlands 81 cents 0.81 Already reached goal
Ireland 54 cents 0.54 Scheduled to reach in 2012
Austria 49 cents 0.49 Scheduled to reach in 2015
Belgium 43 cents 0.43 Scheduled to reach in 2010
Spain 41 cents 0.41 Scheduled to reach in 2012
Finland 40 cents 0.40 Scheduled to reach in 2010
France 39 cents 0.39 Scheduled to reach in 2012
Germany 37 cents 0.37 Scheduled to reach in 2014
Switzerland 37 cents 0.37 No schedule yet
United Kingdom 36 cents 0.36 Scheduled to reach in 2013
Australia 30 cents 0.30 No schedule yet
Canada 28 cents 0.28 No schedule yet
New Zealand 27 cents 0.27 No schedule yet
Italy 19 cents 0.19 Scheduled to reach in 2015
Portugal 19 cents 0.19 Scheduled to reach in 2015
Japan 17 cents 0.17 No schedule yet
Greece 16 cents 0.16 Scheduled to reach in 2015
United States 16 cents 0.16 No schedule yet"

go to www.freerice.com for the rest of the stats.