The final month of the LUCIA internship was based around a research project. It was decided that the last month should be used to explore the work other NGOs are doing and how LUCIA could look to expand their presence in Ethiopia through more partnerships. LUCIA currently has two main partners in Addis, SWDA and Little Voice, and has decided to make more connections and learn more about other NGO operations. LUCIA is slowly expanding and their knowledge is increasing every year, therefore they are eager to make new relations with other charities and continue to grow.

Firstly, the project began with research of every NGO operating in Ethiopia that was involved with helping women and children (LUCIA’s focus target group). This was done by looking at charity directories, the Ethiopian yellow pages and using my contacts from the past six months. Over 800 local NGO’s were singled out, sieved through and narrowed down to the final 30 based on their appropriateness as a new partner.  These 30 were then contacted by email. The organisations that replied were very interested and meetings were subsequently arranged. All of the NGOs that I met,were locally based and had key project areas focusing on women and vulnerable children. It was fascinating visiting them and finding out how the work that LUCIA currently sponsors differs to the work of other. The executive directors and all the staff were positive about the causes they were fighting for and they all had real histories of achievement.

Meeting other local organisations has raised LUCIA’s awareness of the effort that so many dedicated individuals are giving to fighting poverty and inequality in Ethiopia. Entrepreneurship was the binding factor that every NGO shared; a dedicated poor individual had set out with very little and had grown an empire around them, turning nothing into everything. Overwhelmingly inspiring stories were told by every charity I met. It really emphasised the pure struggle and fight everyone had began with to ensure their work was successful.

Very pleased with the positive response and the promising opportunities that had arisen from the meetings, the LUCIA board met to discuss the possibilities of a new partnership. The decision making process is still occurring, and the news will be published very soon. Supporters can be assured that every aspect of the project was done with care and attention to detail. Only the best candidates were picked for discussion and the decision LUCIA makes will be ideal to ensure long term sustainability for the charity.

So…the end of the placement has come and this is the last blog entry that I will be making; but before I leave you all I would like to express my gratitude. The internship with LUCIA, funded by all its dedicated supporters has not only given LUCIA (and me) first hand experience and knowledge of the environment that LUCIA partners operate in, but it has also helped with the collection of baseline data that LUCIA needs to expand. By having a representative working in Addis, LUCIA has gained invaluable information so that they are now better educated to make informed decisions as to what the best moves are for the future. LUCIA now has a better understanding of their target groups and the most effective ways to improve living conditions, quality of life and income generation for beneficiaries. The last month has opened up possibilities for expansion through the creation of new partnerships and will ultimately diversify the work that LUCIA funds, helping more and more people each year.

It has been an amazing opportunity to meet the dedicated individuals who risk their lives to make a change and to see how the support LUCIA gives continues to transform lives. Thank you to all the supporters who made this experience-sharing visit a reality and hopefully a similar internship program will be a possibility in the future. Even if you can only afford to give a little to LUCIA each month, I have first hand experience of that little bit of help going a long way in reality. If people living in poverty are given a glimmer of hope that someone, somewhere, is willing to help them through to the other side, it can turn a very negative situation into a prosperous one.

Each day millions of people all over Ethiopia wake up to a situation far worse than any one of us could imagine. Maybe they are suffering chronic diarrhoea from severe malnutrition, maybe they sleep in the sewers to keep warm every night, or maybe they were abandoned by their mother as they were a result of rape and were subsequently HIV positive. Whatever the story, LUCIA has seen the passion and hope that surges from every community and as long as they have the will to live…we must be willing to give.

The Siiqqee office moved location this week. Previously we were based in a building off 'Bole Road', which is in the south eastern corner of the city centre. The new office is now located in an area called 'Sarbet', which is to the south west.

The new office is situated on the 2nd floor of a new six floor building. At first glance it would seem the office move would be straight forward; the SWDA team in a new environment, working under the same conditions. However, if you take a closer look you will understand how the new office has a huge impact on the organisation.

At the old office, which was tucked up a dirty and dusty side street off of Bole road, it was very hard to stay in contact with stakeholders/ partners due to our obscure location. Being in the 'Kirkos' sub city, one of the poorest locations in Addis, we were subject to frequent power and water shortages. Frustrating situations occurred daily where no outside communications could be made due to electricity scarcity or the use of the toilet was stopped due to water shortages. When dealing with the pressing issues that an NGO, like SWDA, has to manage on a daily basis, the added lack of resources becomes a nuisance.

Sarbet is located in the recently urbanised area of Addis. The Chinese government had a big influence on the infrastructure that surround the area, providing contracts for roads and bridges and other large projects. Pessimistically it is viewed that China will use these 'donations' to blackmail Ethiopia in the future, e.g. to give it advantageous trade tax levies. Optimistically it is a chance that no other government was willing to give Ethiopia and therefore it is better than having no infrastructure.

The new office is along the main Sarbet road and the area is very clean and the pavements are surfaced with no potholes or cracked concrete slates. The building boasts floor space for six organisations, with an open access room on the ground floor and a library on the top floor. Undoubtedly the new location is the opposite of the previous site in every conceivable way!

The transformation of SWDA will come about suddenly. When a local organisation moves into a modern building, activities become increasingly westernised. No longer do we have space for a kitchen and other luxuries that the rural office boasted. Every lunch we visit a local 'megeb-bet' where we take our lunch. After lunch we move to another cafe to take our coffee or other drinks. We now have a toilet which works and has a reliable source of water. No longer do we use water from the toilet to boil and drink but now we have installed a water tank (with a filter!) in the office.

Ethiopians generally take longer to adjust to new situations as culturally they are very 'set in their ways'. An example of this can be seen in how they have retained all their cultural ways, despite new technologies and communications invading their country at an alarming rate. The new office environment is familiar to me, but the others are taking longer to be comfortable with the layout and resources. No longer will the problem of water and power shortages affect our organisation (unless something happens on a country scale) and therefore daily tasks and jobs will become easier.

The efficiency at which SWDA can work at will be hugely increased, and the outputs that we aspire to achieve will be very realistic this year. Speed at which business can operate will improve dramatically, with the problems usually associated with developing countries that affect our work well and truly gone. In retrospect, I am confident that the change of office will be viewed as one of the best strategical moves SWDA has made to continue its development and success.

On Wednesday SWDA had a surprise visit from two well-known Australian jewellery makers. When they arrived at our office they introduced themselves and then went on to show and explain to us a jewellery workshop project they were funding in Northern Ethiopia. They had the contacts for Siiqqee through an adoption agency in Addis (friends of SWDA director) and were interested in finding out more about our organisation.

Luckily Zertihun had brought back to Addis several handicraft samples (the day before) that our beneficiaries in Woliso had made, so we had products to show the jewellers the skills of the women. They were very impressed with the quality of the products, considering the women had had no handicraft training previously and asked us if we had considered teaching our women to make jewellery items.

We explained we had not considered the idea before and that we would not know where to hire jewellery trainers from or even where to source the materials. They showed us samples of the bracelets their women in Bahir Dar (workshop in the North) were producing and we all agreed they were very beautiful. The products are either sold at international bazaars or shipped overseas to Australia. Western communities are more willing and can afford to pay a higher 'mark-up' on the jewellery items due to their wealthier inhabitants. Although the work of shipping the products abroad, marketing and then selling the items is not usually comparable to the time and effort for the profit made, the quality of these items gives them a higher/ worthwhile price.

The jewellers said they would be happy to buy us our first set of beads and wire needed to make the bracelets and would provide training the same day- we were all very excited! As soon as the news was announced we were in the Siiqqee car steaming at full pace, heading towards the Mercato (largest open-air market in Africa). We were on a mission to source wire, bracelets and tools needed to make the bracelets. It is very important to use local materials, not only so that it supports the local community but also that it ensures the items can be easily purchased again, providing for project sustainability.

The Mercato is phenomenal in size and anything one could ever want can be found there! From clothes, to cooking items, to fruit and vegetables to metals and fabric stalls...there is an endless supply of seemingly everything. Zertihun is a regular to the market so she led us through narrow alleyways and across major intersections, until we finally reached the basket/weaving area. Here we found stalls littered with bags and bags of different coloured jewellery beads. At a pound a bag, the beads were insanely cheap for the quantity inside and the quality was praised by the Australian jewellers. We had difficulty finding the exact wire needed to make the first set of products, so we are continuing our search. The wire is made from stainless steel, to avoid the bracelet rusting and it is comparatively expensive for thin wire. Nonetheless, the quality of the bracelets is dependent upon the design and their structure durability, so the exact replica wire is a necessity.

We had been in the Mercato for five hours when the stalls began to start packing up, marking the end of trading for that day. The bustling market is very tiresome, yet fascinating to walk around all day as you are constantly followed by street sellers, watching your head for moving sheets of corrugated iron and being careful not to step on any stalls' products which are spread out across the wandering paths. The visitors were captivated by the wealth of quality and diversity the market boasted and agreed it was a national treasure to Ethiopia.

That evening back at the office, myself and a field coordinator from our Woliso program were taught how to make the bracelets, including how to finish the wire ends into a loop and also how to choose and thread the beads. The sample bracelets we made were very attractive and it was satisfying sitting and threading the beads on the thin wire. Our beneficiaries will gratuitously welcome this new activity and it will provide them with a hope for future business. The bracelets made are trendy by all standards and they will attract a wide target population, which is vital to their success.

LUCIA has sold SWDA beneficiary products' before, which included basket and cotton handicrafts-, all proving to be extremely popular. Once this new project is operating on a mass scale (potential for over 100 women to join), we hope the beautiful handmade bracelets will appeal to our supporters in England and they will treat themselves to a couple!

The generosity of this Australian couple to support SWDA in this new project has strengthened our women's hopes that their livelihoods will be improved. The profits from the bracelets that the women gain will subsidise the little money they make from local petty trades and will improve not only the lives of the women but also their families.
Updates on project progress will be made available in the near future and LUCIA supporters can expect to see LUCIA's online shop filled with these beautiful handmade bracelets made by Siiqqee's women within the coming year.

Christmas eve is official slaughtering day for the festival animals. As many Ethiopians do not have fridges, the animals need to be kept alive until the last possible moment to ensure they are cooked fresh. The national dish, Doro wat, is prepared and started a day ahead of the celebratory meal. The dish, made from chicken and a spicy red sauce with undertones of ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper, is a favourite of many and is topped off with a boiled egg elegantly placed on top of each individual portion. Another dish commonly had is Yebeg wat, which is simply the same as Doro Wat with the chicken substituted for mutton and minus the boiled egg. Both are eaten with Injera, a traditional flat pancake textured bread, and depending on the families wealth a mixture of cheese and vegetable side dishes are also prepared.

I received two invitations for Geunna celebrations. The day started with a visit to SWDA's director, Zertihun's house. I had purposely not eaten breakfast as Ethiopian hospitality ensures that the guests are fed until they can no longer stand and today was no exception. Whilst Zertihun and her family only took small portions of everything, my plate was constantly loaded with the tastiest morsels and I was only allowed to stop once they were satisfied they had fed me well! A coffee ceremony followed, which consisted of three rounds of strong Ethiopian coffee, traditional festival bread and lots of sweet popcorn. When the time came to leave for the next party, I was dreading the thought of eating more food but I put on a brave face and left for the Little voice home with Zertihun.

On arrival we were greeted by the 30 children, all of whom were very excited at all the visitors who had come to their house. After I had greeted them all, the first question I asked was how was their meal, to which they replied it was great - I let out a great sigh of relief that we had missed the feast. However, as we were seated in the hall for the Christmas plays and dramas to begin, we were met by the home's cook who produced from behind her a huge pot of steaming Yebeg wat, and another of sheep's intestines. She explained that she knew we must be hungry and apologised that they had eaten before our arrival. Once again my plate was loaded with the stews and intestines and three rolls of Injera were placed on the table as my plate was already brimming. I braced myself for serious stomach cramps and dug into the delicious food. I managed to escape the second round of food by made a coincidental trip to the bathroom, but when I returned I saw Zertihun had not and we both laughed at the fresh mound of steaming stew which stood before her.

The afternoon's events were nothing less than I had expected. Full of surprising games, emotional speeches and a lot of laughter- I am always amazed at the drama that unfolds. Highlights included a very strange banana eating race between three of the younger boys. I don't think the game had any religious or traditional backing, it was simply just a game for fun! We all watched, clapping, cheering and guessing who would win. Despite finding this absolutely hilarious, it was taken very seriously by the competitors and there was obviously a big honour at stake with the title of the banana eating champion. The race was over quickly, with the eldest boy who had unwrapped, chewed and swallowed the banana before the smallest boy had even got his banana out of the skin. The winner got a bottle of coke, but he kindly shared it with the other two boys that he competed with.

Another highlight was when Jenna, one of the Little Voice Home staff, gave each of the kids a small book of photos of themselves that she had collected from different events throughout the years. The children rarely catch a glimpse of themselves in a photo, let alone have one for them to keep, so a book of photos with themselves and their friends in was a whole new level! The kids ran to and from different groups of people, showing their new present off. Screeching filled the air as they jumped around in excitement and with the timely arrival of refreshments (including Coke and Fanta) for the kids, the adults all exchanged a worried glance. Suddenly, a room full of 30 children watching Christmas performances and obediently clapping on cue, turned into a wild array of dancing and clapping.

The program was almost over, bar one speech that Ashnaffi ( a home staff member) had to make, but it was saved until the effects of the sugar had waned. In true Habesha (Ethiopian) style, the CD player was cranked to full volume and all the visitors were egged on to join in the dancing that had started. Jenna's family, including her mum, dad and grandmother, were all present and they were instantly centred in the hall and made to perform traditional shoulder jerking and hip thrusting moves. I was now a regular at the home, so was spared from the embarrassment, but nonetheless I joined in with them as the circle closed and everyone let go of all dignity and jumped around with no care in the world.

When everyone tired and retuned to their seats, Ashnaffi made his closing speech to the ceremony. He was joined by one of the children who wanted to say something to the visitors and the staff. This was the most memorable event of the day and was particularly moving.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our home. On behalf of all of us we would like to thank you for spending your day with us, we have had such fun and it will be remembered. We want to thank all the home staff who care for us and devote all their effort to us. Thank you for changing our destiny, we love our new family'

The few sentences he had said were appreciated by everyone. What a great day we had all had and the message behind the events, even more important. Their destiny HAD been changed. No longer were these children living on the streets, in brothels, living with abusive family members or being subjected to dangerous situations each day in their quest for survival. The home has literally secured the lives of these children and a price can not be put on that. Children should not be denied a decent chance at life because their parents and families did not provide for them. Unfortunate situations occur and the root causes of these problems are usually poverty and lack of resources. Every child should be entitled to a loving family and if the Little Voice home has succeeded in giving this for all these children it's an immense achievement.

Ethiopia has one of the highest infant mortality rates and under-5 malnourishment levels in the world. The support that LUCIA gives to the home is giving them the resources needed to care for and to change the destiny of more adolescents each year. These youths will become the parents of the next generation of children. All the education, care and support they receive will undoubtedly prepare them for parenthood better than their childhood carers were. Lets join the fight against the increasing number of vulnerable children in Ethiopia and start at the root cause of family issues...the children, who will one day have their own family.