June 2016

In 2014 Sister Terfatu asked if we could help to raise funds to connect electricity for 1500 people in Dembi Dolo Sisters home region south west of Bahir Dar.  After several emails Sister told us that it would costs £3,000. We said that this was within our fund raising capability and thought it would be an excellent project.  In February 2015 on our visit to Bahir Dar we took the funds to give to sister. Handing over the money we asked sister to check it, she came back to us and said it was not enough, how short are we?  A lot she replied. It turns out that Sister’s email was missing a digit and the £3,000 was actually £30,000. After much head shaking and a few tears we said we would give it a go to raise the funds.

In October 2015 we made the trip to Dembi Dolo to meet the people so anxious to have the basic commodity of electricity.  Electricity to a region means so much more that just light, it allows a better school with PCs, allows a child to study after dark, the chance of better communications and the chance to store food safely and for longer.

In Ethiopia a local wedding or funeral will attract people from miles around this can number thousands.  The morning of our visit to the village on the outskirts of Dembi Dolo we came across the road lined with people on both sides, Mike asked the driver if it was a wedding to which the driver replied this is for you. Sister quickly explained that they are so pleased that we are trying to help them that the whole community has turned out including children with bunches of wild flowers.   We sat with the community elders who explained that they themselves had raised £1,500, not bad for subsistence farmers, and showed us the bank book for the account they had opened with their money and our £3,000.  After seeing the people of Dembi Dolo it made us even more determined to raise the funds.  At the time of this newsletter we have over £20,000 and hope to have the full amount by February 2017.