Connected in Hope Foundation’s (CHF) vision began with an adoption and a first visit to Ethiopia in 2009.  It grew into a deep love and respect for the people of Ethiopia and a compelling desire to give back to this beautiful land and its people. 

Subsequent trips to Ethiopia brought us face-to-face with women burdened with bundles of fuel wood.  We learned about the enormous challenges they face every day in an effort to provide even the basics of food and shelter for their families.  We met children forced to quit school and work when the complications of HIV/AIDS left their mothers too ill to support the family. The faces of the women and children of Entoto were imprinted on our hearts and left us forever changed- and committed!

Today CHF is actively involved and making a difference.  Working under the International Charity umbrella of The Center for Creative Leadership, CHF has established a partnership with the Former Women Fuel Wood Carriers Association (FWFWCA).   Meetings with FWFWCA leaders helped identify women’s needs and set program priorities. Mutual respect, clear communication, and a willingness to work collaboratively have provided a strong foundation for future work.

Women fuel wood carriers are among the poorest in Ethiopia, with average incomes of less than $12 a month.  Approximately 60% are the head and sole support of their households.  One third are between the ages of 10 and 19.  Working under harsh conditions, the women carry bundles of eucalyptus branches weighing 75-80 pounds 18 miles down Mount Entoto to markets in Addis Ababa.  Guards sometimes harass them, demand bribe money, or assault them sexually.  Despite the risks to their health and safety, women fuel wood carriers have no choice.  They lack the education and financial resources necessary to make income alternatives a reality.

Leaders of the Former Women Fuel Wood Carriers Association (FWFWCA) identified establishing predictable, sustainable income sources as their greatest challenge.  Today 60 former fuel wood carriers weave scarves or make baskets, but their access to even local markets is limited.   Through the internet and print media, CHF introduces, promotes and sells the women’s handmade products in local and global markets.  Additional training and consistent access to high-quality raw materials will encourage women to create new designs and experiment with new product lines.  As more quality products are brought to expanding markets, the women will have a predictable, sustainable, fair-trade income.

Children under the age of 18 represent 52% of the Ethiopian population. Forty percent of all of the country’s children will never attend school.  Of those who enter grade one, only 40% will complete grade five.  Ethiopia has one of the lowest primary school enrollment rates and one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world.  Currently 40 preschool children of former women fuel wood carriers are being served in two small rooms adjacent to work areas.  Infants and toddlers are often carried on their mothers’ backs as they work.  An advisory group of mothers of young children is collaborating with CHF staff to identify immediate needs and long-term goals of the preschool and an expanded program that includes childcare for infants and toddlers. 

            Almost 80% of the deaths in Ethiopia are due to preventable communicable diseases and nutritional deficiencies.   The World Health Organization (2008) reports that with an annual average family income of less than $300, it is not surprising that 51% of Ethiopian children suffer moderate to severe stunted growth because of poor nutrition.  One in 10 Ethiopian children will die before their first birthday.  Forty-six percent of children under the age of five will die from water-borne disease and related diarrhea.  Access to basic health care is severely limited and frequently unavailable to the poor.

            CHF is in the second year of a 6-year commitment to support two young men who grew up in orphanages in Addis Ababa attending Hayat Medical College.   Both visit the Mount Entoto community, make observations, and answer questions about basic hygiene.  Regular visits enable the CHF staff, volunteers and medical students to identify potential medical issues and evaluate ongoing interventions (anti-fungal treatment, nutritional supplements, and vitamin distribution).  Working with NGOs, government agencies, and volunteers, CHF will support efforts to stock a health clinic, build latrines and establish safe, accessible sources of drinking water and provide health and hygiene education.