Ethiopia Utopia Foundation visit

Last week, we received a visit from Garazi and David in Fraisoro. They are part of the Ethiopia Utopia Tikal Foundation, and they presented the work they do in Ethiopia. They currently have 5 projects being developed in Ethiopia.

The first is related to menstrual hygiene. It is carried out in 10 rural schools and, on the one hand, aims to reduce school absenteeism among girls due to menstruation, and on the other hand, to overcome the taboos associated with menstruation. This is done through training workshops, awareness-raising and the distribution of materials and hygiene kits.

The second project involves the construction of an irrigation dam in collaboration with NGOs. The construction of this infrastructure will ensure access to irrigation water and improve the productivity of the region’s agricultural fields, benefiting 160 families.

Thirdly, there has been talk about riverbank rehabilitation. The Kainaberak 2 project is working on biological protection of riverbanks against water surges during rainy seasons to solve the desertification problem in the Tigray region.

The next project they presented to us is to support the athletics team in the village of Wukro. This project provides food to the children who train twice a week before going to school. This ensures that they can go to school well-fed after playing sports.

Finally, a rainwater harvesting project has been presented in two rural schools. Water storage tanks are built and water is collected from the roofs of the rooms through a pipe system and then disinfected. Dry toilets are also part of the project and special attention will be paid to hygiene promotion and the MHM program on menstrual hygiene.

All projects are affected by the ongoing war situation in the region, with around 3 million people displaced and 1.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.