it starts with water

it's all about water for Megaladi.  a well was dug for them by an NGO (non-governmental organization) and they were given a diesel-powered generator to operate the well pump.  the diesel fuel for the generator is very expensive and the parts to repair and maintain it are nearly impossible to obtain.  and the real issue...the water is not suitable for consumption or irrigation.  high in salt content, the water is causing kidney problems among the villagers.  but they continue to drink it because there is no other water source. 

in our discussions with Megaladi committee members it became clear that the priority is

water.  without clean water they cannot have agriculture and income.  to be healthy they need clean water for drinking and hygiene.  some children do not attend school because of dehydration and hunger.  the first hurdle in their path of transformational community development (TCD) is water.

but they have vision and hope.  they know that they must become self-sufficient to survive.  they now realize that the hand-outs only create dependence.  they know that knowledge and guidance is the answer to helping their community. 

the local GHNI representatives, Jonathan, Zerihun, Alex, and Lemmy, are committed to leading and teaching them.  

the villagers are willing to listen, learn, and work hard.  they are committed to making their village a healthy and viable community for the next generation.

our team of four American mothers has committed to helping them as they walk hand-in-hand on this journey of transformation.  laura, courtney, jennifer and i are full of hope for the partnership of Megaladi and GHNI. 

you can support the village of Megaladi too, if you'd like.  you can be part of this amazing process.  the price is small...only $12 per month.  the reward is monumental...an entire village becoming healthy, independent, and self-sufficient. 

    

more to the story...

there is so much more to the story.

today i will learn more about the story of

Megaladi

i want to know their hopes for a

healthy future.

i can't wait to see the school where

the children learn.

i want to know more about where

they get clean

drinking water.

i want to know how they earn

money to buy food.

i want to know if the

children are getting enough to eat.

do you want to

know more?

do you have questions?

 

 

ask them.  please do.

i will try my best to find the

answers

for you.

hmcclellan8@gmail.com

expectations

we loaded into the trusty truck this morning and traversed the terraced highlands

 to meet with a coffee bean farmer and learn how his business functions. 

 his approximately 150 trees provide income for his family. 

 he willingly shared details about cultivating, harvesting, preparing,

 and selling the coffee beans with our team. 

 we also spoke with the women about the details of everyday life, thanks to the translation of Zerihun, Alex, and Lemmy, the local GHNI staff.  the women care for the children, cultivate the land, prepare food, take the crops to market, and acquire water from a spring at the bottom of the hill.  they also grow potatoes, onions, and chat to sell at the market.  (chat is a plant that is native to this area.  the men (mostly) chew the leaves,

as it is a mild stimulant causing excitement and euphoria. 

 it has developed into quite an unfortunate cash crop.) 

many of the children attend school, but some of them help with the farming. 

 they also have goats, donkeys, chickens, and cows.

they are living above the means of many others in the area. 

in so many ways Ethiopia, and her people, have exceeded my expectations. 

the landscape is not at all what i expected.

it is breathtaking.

there is greenery

and agriculture.

the people are not at all what i expected

them to be like.

they are generous and accepting.

they are kind and loving to their children,

each other, and to

us.

they have so exceeded my expectations.

we are two cultures,

but we are so similar.

 

we are one and the same.

commitment

these are the people of Megaladi. 

the village of Megaladi (muh-gah-la-ah-dee) made a

commitment

to begin the journey of transforming their community into one of

 independence and sustainability. 

and Global Hope has made a

commitment

to motivate, empower, and teach the people of Megaladi

as they begin the process of

Transformational Community Development (TCD)

which will equip them with the knowledge to use their

local resources and assets to obtain:

enough water for drinking, cooking and cleaning

enough food to eliminate chronic hunger

core wellness and health

increased income

and education for the children.

we got to shake hands with the people of the village.

we learned about their families.

we showed them pictures of our families.

we took pictures of the children.

we held hands and walked with the children.

we played.

we connected.

they are such colorful people.

and not just their clothes.

they are animated.

 full of laughter and smiles.

welcoming and trusting.

inquisitive.

eager.

receptive.

loving.

and i am loving them.

we will be visiting Megaladi

again this week.

i cannot wait to see them again.

no words...

what an amazing day!  no words for now...just a few pictures. i will try to post more a bit later.

at the market

pure joy!

at the market

a common sight on the roads

safe and sound...

after many hours on an airplane and more trips through airport security than i can count on one hand, we finally arrived at the guest house where we will be staying for the next week or so.  ("we" is three other women volunteers, two American GHNI representatives, and an Ethiopian GHNI representative.)  the guest house, called African Village, is home for the next several days.  it is incredible!  the people are all so warm and hospitable.  the bed is nice and soft, the bathroom is spotless, the food is incredible, and the village is very clean, quiet, and safe. this is sort of like base camp...we will venture out to the villages for day visits.   

African Village Guest House and our trusty vehicle

we had some relaxation time today to adjust and transition to the time change.  it was a beautiful day!  sunny, bright, clear skies and about 80 degrees.  after a short nap this afternoon, we headed out for an authentic, traditional Ethiopian dinner. 

the floppy stuff around the edges is injera...YUM!

meals are served with injera...a big, flat, round tortilla-like bread, but a little "sponge-y".  after tearing off a small piece of injera, you pinch a bite of meat, beans, and vegetables from the plate with the injera...and down the hatch.  simple as that.  no utensils.  everyone sits around the table to "eat" from one plate.  the flavors were different, but amazing.  some things were more spicy than others, but I understand spicy food is definitely the norm in Ethiopia...i guess i won't be shedding any pounds!  


today we reviewed the schedule of events for the week and discussed the plans, ideas, and projects ahead of us.  the 3 villages we will be visiting throughout the week are Garmaam, Hurso, and Magaladi.  these villages are all at different stages in their journeys through the TCD (Transformational Community Development) program.  this process includes 5 areas of development: water, food, wellness, income, and education.  GHNI has been working with Hurso for 3 years and Garmaam for about a year.  tomorrow we will begin to meet the villagers, see the progress of their recent projects, and hear about their ideas and hopes for the future. 

a peek at Dire Dawa

off to bed now.  can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...

4 days...

in just four short days i will embark on an incredible journey.  i have been given the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia with Global Hope Network International (GHNI), an amazing non-profit, private humanitarian aid organization without a religious affiliation.  about a year ago Zander and i became sponsors of a village, Garmaam, in the Somali District of East Ethiopia.  (click here to check out the village for yourself.)  i have been amazed and intrigued by the vision, hope, and change that GHNI has offered to the people of the village.  through what they call Transformational Community Development (TCD), GHNI is helping villages in Africa, and around the world, that are committed to transforming themselves into independent and sustainable communities.  they are reaching the poorest villages in rural areas and helping the people break the cycle of poverty and dependence.

so...I'm going!  to Africa.  to see for myself.  we will be visiting the village cluster of Garmaam, Hurso, and Magaladi.  this trip is about building relationships.  we are going to meet and spend time with the villagers.  we will connect personally with the people of these villages and get to know them and learn about their culture.  and we will help them with their development process as they continue on the path to a healthy lifestyle.  we will have the opportunity to learn about and help with the current projects and programs they are working on.  

so check out GHNI if you'd like to learn more.

and i'll be there soon...i can't wait to share my experience with you all!  i hope to update daily, so check back and follow me on my journey if you'd like!   

welcome!

thanks for joining me on this adventure.  this blog of mine will be mostly informal, and sometimes grammatically incorrect, which will bother some of you (you know who you are!).  but i am choosing to do it this way because i can...and i want to make it easy on myself. ha!  that's the beauty of this being mine.  i will try to make it easy (enough) to read that it isn't torture, but i do not like to waste time on capitalization.  the editing usually distracts me from my real thoughts...and that's really the point here, right?  

so...welcome!  come along on my journey and let's see where it leads...