Home > Building Family Ties > Ethiopia > Helping Ethiopian Families

In the remote districts of southern Ethiopia, HOPE International Development Agency finds families that the world has forgotten.

Many Ethiopians in general struggle with poverty, but families living in the country’s rural south endure a standard of living that is incomparably harsh. These farming families survive by nothing else by their own body-breaking labour, putting in 16 hour days on tiny plots of land that receive erratic rainfall. Lucky families have a few livestock grazing in their pastures. For these Ethiopians, there is no such thing as a safety net. If there is drought, death surely follows. But even if they survive disaster, everyday life takes a terrible toll:  it is not uncommon for one in three children to die from preventable disease, while the average adult does not live to see age fifty.

Yet, if a family is invested into, they have the vision and the will to make improvements that will ensure a higher standard of living for generations to come.  If you, as a BFT supporter, choose to give a family like this a chance, HOPE will extend the training and income-earning opportunities that can tip the balance from mere survival to secure self-reliance.

Your generous gift of $30 per month ensures:
 
Training for improved family health: From lessons about diversifying crops to courses on family nutrition, a little bit of knowledge will go a long way to helping your family to become healthy and strong.

A sustainable household garden: If they traditionally only grow 2 or 3 crops, they will receive the training and tools to grow home gardens with vitamin-rich vegetables that they can eat and also sell at the local market for extra income.

Income-earning opportunities: Instead of relying solely on their land for food and income, many families are eager to learn the trades and skills that will build their local economies and provide income in years when harvests are poor.

Animals for increased household income:  Your support enables a family to buy animals such as sheep, goats, chickens, and cows. These animals provide food, labour, and offspring which can be sold at the market.

Your support lets a family know that they have not been cast aside to suffer alone in this world. They have a friend in you—someone who believes that they have every right to live fully, freely, and with hope.

As a Building Family Ties supporter you will receive the following:

• A profile and photo of a family in southern Ethiopia.
• An information sheet on Ethiopia.
• An information sheet on the project
• Regular reports on your family's progress.
  

Support a family in Ethiopia today by becoming a Building Family Ties sponsor.

For further information please contact Leanne VanderKwaak by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by telephone at 604-525-5481 (or Toll-Free at 1 866 525 4673) at extension 14.