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LUCIA supports the following projects:
- Women's self help groups - Promoting sustainable development programmes such as community savings schemes and small business training and start-up support
- Education programmes - Sexual and reproductive health, family planning, women's rights and re-education to combat harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM).
- Orphan girls and street children projects - Providing shelter, food, clothing, sanitary products, counselling and education / schooling
- Saria school library - Fundraising to build a library for Saria school in Sheno, Ethiopia
Read the latest news about the projects below...
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Sunday, 13 March 2011 17:27 |
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On our recent trip to Ethiopia we made a return visit to see Melat Zewudu and Mahder Yirrga. Melat is now 16 years of age and Mahder is 12. They are cousins and have been supported by LUCIA for the past three and a half years. Both are classed as Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC); they live with their grandmother Thehaynesh, who has no idea of her age. She guesses she is somewhere between 60 and 70 years.
The girls both lost their fathers some years ago and their mothers left them with their granny while they sought work in one of the Arab countries. The girls have no idea which country their mothers went to. They do know that Melat’s mother died years ago but they have no information regarding Mahder’s mother.
The living conditions for the girls is very poor, as their home is very small (16’ x 12’ approx) and has to accommodate five adults and the two girls. They have no windows, running water or toilet facilities.
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Last Updated on Monday, 16 May 2011 21:03 |
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Thursday, 30 June 2011 20:16 |
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During the last field trip to Ethiopia, LUCIA officer Ron Gardiner visited one of the women's self help groups. Here he writes about his experience:
"From the busy streets of a bustling capital we ventured in to the quiet outskirts of Addis. Our vehicle bumped along unmetalled roads until coming to rest alongside one of the women’s self help group homes. With anticipation we tumbled out of the well-used 4x4 and into the Ethiopian sunshine, where we were greeted by a member of the group and ushered into her home.
Entering the house we were invited to sit on chairs lined against the wattle and daub walls and in turn our Siiqqee field officer introduced us to the gathered women’s group, probably 16 in number. The home had no windows, only a little light coming from the open door. A corrugated tin roof, speckled with holes, let in pinpricks of sunshine that fell on a dirt floor, half covered with well-worn linoleum. A dresser with some crockery and a few pieces of glassware rested against the facing wall, looking quite out of place, and the only other furniture was a small low table. The sleeping area was hidden by a blanket. From here a lady appeared with a large bowl of white and cream coloured popcorn and a large circular new baked loaf of some 3” thickness. This was placed on the table as another member near the door roasted coffee beans on a charcoal burner. Very casually she rolled and tossed the beans to perfection, then with the hard wood pestle and mortar she ground the fresh beans to grains.
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Tuesday, 10 January 2012 19:52 |
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We've got a very exciting new LUCIA project that we're keen to tell you all about! We plan to build and equip a library for Saria school in Sheno, which currently only has 4 classrooms for 465 pupils. At present the Saria region has no access to information, and this is something we would like to address as we believe education is the answer to lifting people out of poverty.
A library will provide additional teaching and resources not at present available to the children. It will maximise opportunities for all people in the area, providing access not only to children at the school but also to the rest of the community who wish to broaden their knowledge. Books on a wide range of relevant subjects will be provided and the focus will not only be on academic achievement but also education on social issues.
LUCIA will work in partnership with Developing Families Together (DFT), an Ethiopian NGO, on this project. DFT built the existing Saria school classrooms and provided chairs and tables. The school is actually featured in our documentary, and we're keen to support it in every way we can.
It will cost approximately £19,000 to build the library, so we'll have to do a lot of fundraising! Over the coming months we'll be suggesting many ways in which you can help support this project, and keep you updated on our progress. There'll even be a fundaising 'book thermometer' on our homepage so you can see how close we are to reaching our monetary target. In the meantime, if you'd like any further information on the project or are keen to help us fundraise please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you! |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 20:03 |
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Friday, 21 May 2010 18:24 |
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Kirsty, LUCIA's placement in Ethiopia, sent us this lovely story...
Saturday 26th September 2009 was the religious Meskel celebration for many Orthodox Ethiopians. The holiday marks the discovery of the 'true cross' and it is usually celebrated by family gatherings at which large bonfires are lit and special meals are eaten.
Little Voice Foundation celebrated in style with their own bonfire set up and a feast of celebratory food. When I arrived I was immediately summoned to the kitchen where I was shown the special meal of Doro Wat (spicy chicken stew) and the famous Ethiopian Injera (pancake staple) being made. The cooks at the home are very accommodating and they make enough food to allow for extra guests if they come.
We ate the delicious meal they had prepared after all the children had settled and washed their hands. It was great to see people feeding each other food from their plate, as it's a sign you love someone and care for them. These children have special bonds between themselves and the staff who work at the home and you almost forget that sometimes these are the only people they know and trust as family.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 05 June 2010 20:01 |
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