by Mary Clare
Mary Clare is an alum of our Dublin Programme and is currently working with 'A Glimmer of Hope' in Ethiopia. Read her story...
November 4, 2010
As you probably know, I've been living here in Addis Ababa since the end of August. In many ways, my world has been turned upside down. The water and power go out regularly, every time I sit down for a meal I worry about getting sick, and living among the poorest of the world's poor is a startling daily reality. Life in Africa can be physically challenging and
emotionally draining. But more importantly than any of that, my life now has more purpose and meaning than it ever did before. Working for A Glimmer of Hope has given me the opportunity to witness villages and communities being completely transformed; it has allowed me to very literally help save lives. One project at a time, one village at a time, Glimmer is helping some of the world's poorest and most forgotten people really lift themselves out of poverty. And I'm blessed to be a part of it.
Out of all of the villages in which Glimmer works, one in particular has stolen my heart. I want to tell you about it and about the birthday wish that I hope will help to change its reality.
Ethiopia is the small village of Dube Bute. The beauty of the area is matched only by the beautiful spirit of the people who live there. But life is harder than anything imaginable back at home. Dube Bute, despite its beauty, is a place plagued by extreme rural poverty. It is a community that I first heard about from my friend Emily. Emily's son Eyasu was born in Dube Bute and the harsh reality of life in that part of the country led Eyasu to the verge of death, eventually forcing his uncle to give him to a local government orphanage. By the grace of God, Eyasu was adopted by the Alexander family and is now a healthy young boy living in Arlington. But the reality of his first home has not changed. It is still a place of extreme poverty. And now, the Alexanders are on a mission to change the reality of life in Dube Bute, and I want to help them. But first, I want to explain
just how bad that reality is.
Over 700 children attend school 7 mudblock classrooms. They sit huddled elbow to elbow, often using their knees as desks, squinting in the dark because their classrooms have no electricity.
The people of Dube Bute currently receive medical attention in a 2 room health post. I have been in this health post multiple times. It is empty. I mean completely empty. No tables, no chairs, no medical equipment, no medicine. Empty. Essentially, a local health care worker stands in a barren room where she can attempt to diagnose any ailment that might arise, but she has no way to treat it.
Because they live in such a rural community, the people of Dube Bute very literally depend on their livestock for their survival. Horses, cows, goats, chickens they are all a very vital part of life. But there is no veterinary service available in case of disease. If a family's cow gets sick and cannot be treated, they could lose their very livelihood in the matter
of a week.
And perhaps most disturbing of all the many terrible aspects of life in Dube Bute is the lack of clean water. Water for drinking, bathing, washing clothes comes from one of two sources. There is the dirty, stagnant water sitting in two open wells in the center of town. Or there is the muddy water coming from an unprotected spring at which animals also drink. Both sources produce brown water. Both sources lead to disease. And both sources are
frequented by the people of Dube Bute as their only source of available water. I have stood in the mud at the spring, collecting water with the women of the community as tears filled my eyes. It is the most heartbreaking thing I have ever witnessed.
But all of this can change. And YOU can help. A Glimmer of Hope, in partnership with a local, Ethiopian implementing partner have done all of the groundwork necessary to create a plan to completely change life in Dube Bute. This integrated community development program will provide 8 brand new fully furnished classrooms; a brand new, fully equipped health center; the first ever veterinary clinic in the community; and 18 water points, which will provide clean, safe water to the people of Dube Bute. Can you even imagine how transformative it will all be? The Alexander family is on a mission to make sure the $284,000 necessary for completion is raised as quickly as possible so that construction can begin. And this year, for my 23rd birthday, I want to help them!
So what can you do? I'm asking everybody I know to donate money in multiples of 23 to my birthday campaign for Dube Bute. $23, $46, $230, $345 (23x15), $2,300. Whatever you can give, is very much appreciated. Today is November 4th, one month before my birthday on December 4th. Just think, if you set aside $1.53 each day for the next month, you'll have $46 by my birthday. That¹s pretty easy, right? You can also help by forwarding this email to friends and family that you think might be willing to help. Every bit makes a difference, and each dollar helps to change lives. The more people involved, the better.
Now here's the really cool part (as if saving lives wasn't cool enough). Thanks to A Glimmer of Hope's 100% promise, every single cent raised is going to go directly to the implementation of these projects in Dube Bute. Even the PayPal transaction fee is covered by Glimmer¹s endowment, which means that you can rest assured that every penny you give is going directly to Dube Bute. Not only that, but because I will continue to go to Dube Bute throughout the process of construction, I will be sending out updates on progress with photos and videos. Pretty cool, huh? You can actually follow the progress of the projects that YOU help to fund and you will get to see the faces of the people whose lives YOU are changing.
I'm here on the ground, and I'm doing my very best to help. But I need your help. Please come with me on this journey. Remember, this isn't a birthday present for me, it¹s a life-saving, life-changing gift to people I love in a community that desperately needs help.
To donate, please go to:
http://ourglimmerofhope.org/campaign/23rd-birthday-dube-bute
(The target goal of $5000 is a minimum for this campaign, I¹m hoping to
raise much more than that!)
For more information on Dube Bute, including photos and video, please visit
my blog at: www.austintoaddis.wordpress.com
<http://www.austintoaddis.wordpress.com>
Thank you so much! I appreciate all of your help more than you can possibly
know.
With lots of love from Ethiopia,
Mary Clare
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