2008 Update
This is our fourth newsletter detailing our
recent trip to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, February 2008.
This year was slightly different as we took
along a friend. Jane’s teaching assistant and culinary skills
proved a great hit. This also allowed us extra baggage
allowance taking out more of your donated items.
This year this included many baby and
children’s clothes, vegetable seeds, sewing items, books, toys,
the obligatory football shirts and Jesus (more on that
later).
Once again your ongoing funding is making a huge
difference, we saw many more houses being built
and the lives for some are
improving.
However the biggest shock
we had was the increase in prices, a world problem but one that
is hitting the poor the hardest. A
box of nails for house building has increased from £4.00 to
£8.00; the cost of an ox has
increased three fold and grain has doubled. It is noticeable
that the poor are getting poorer and the level of affluent people in Bahir Dar has
risen.
As they say in Ethiopia,
"Asmasaggonallaw"… Thank you!
Angela and Mike
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