The delivery and distribution of food to these communities (often self-sufficient due to their sustainable livelihood systems) was facilitated through purchase and delivery that was planned and executed in such a way that focus was made on local village markets and on local suppliers of grain. This helped LSI avoid exorbitant transport and storage costs. The whole task was executed in ten days.
The purchase and distribution was conducted and witnessed by Wolde Tadesse (LSI Chair) and Eyasu Woldetsadik (LSI Secretary).
The success of this LSI Garda emergeny project in a short span of time could not have been realised without the sensitive response of the trustees of PWANKA Indigenous Fund and a grant made to LSI by RSF Social Finance, to alleviate the drought driven hardship experienced by the above indigenous communities. To them all we are grateful.
In the Gamo Zone (SNNPR) we were provided with financial, administrative, ground transport and coordination services. The coordination at Zonal, woreda and community level went seamlessly.
In our earlier incarnation (while LSI was being launched), Wolde concluded a project in partnership with The Gamo Development Association and Gach’o Babba Woreda administration in Ethiopia that involved the construction of 18 indigenous bamboo houses. The houses were built and given to eighteen families that lost their houses in a landslide in 2020. Wolde Tadesse raised the funds on the GoFundMe platform. Additional support was provided by WISN that was used to furnish the newly built houses.
Community libraries in Birbir and Ezzo in Game country were given 100,000 and 50,000 Eth Birr respectively. This support was secured from Zewdu Wolde Gossa a restaurant owner in Vancouver Canada and WISN respectively. The funds are used to employ librarians for the two community libraries.
Chencha Secondary School (in Chencha) and Garo School in Arba Minch received Eth Birr 50,000 each to have a local bamboo structure to serve as a lounge for their teaching and administrative staff and for Garo school to renovate their school giving it a facelift to make it suitable for pupils and teachers. WISN and Wolde Tadesse provided this support and WISN’s contribution was much appreciated. This was done during the lockdown when Wolde Tadesse stayed in Ethiopia to manage the above projects. No project funds were used to cover Dr Tadesse’s travel or other expenses in Ethiopia.
