So, after the epic drive in from Sudan, we had the weekend to catch our breath. We ventured into Gonder on the Saturday, where we met Alex and Towadrose, two lovely young men, who became our good friends. After exploring the market and the sights of the town, we ate and then headed to a traditional Ethiopian club to experience the local culture. The club was immense, and Phil, Alex, Towadrose, and myself were up and dancing in the unique snake-like fashion for most of the night. Everything about Ethiopia was an attack on the senses, in the most positive of respects. It seemed as though around each and every corner there was something else remarkable. We were both utterly taken by the place, and excited to learn more.
After spending a lovely evening with Ferdi and Katherina, our overlanding companions from Aswan and Wadi Halfa, on the Sunday, it was time to learn more about the ‘Kindu Trust’ and the work they do to support people in the community. They had been established approximately ten years ago, by Kate. , an English lady living in Ethiopia, but recently handed over to the local people to run themselves. Kassahun was the man in charge, and along with him had come Fente. In addition to this they had recently employed two young men to add some youthful exuberance to the organisation, in the form of Tadele and Lainie , and had recently moved premises, to accommodate the expansion of their work.
Fundamentally, the ‘Kindu Trust’ run a child sponsorship scheme. This is predominantly to support the child’s education, but also assists their entire family with medical support, vocational training, and regular assessment. The communication with the child’s sponsor is maintained rigorously, and thus if any serious problems are to occur, the sponsor will be made aware of the predicament. We met two families who had both been supported with the installation of water pipes, giving them access to water to wash, drink, and in one case make home brewed beer. One of the houses we visited, we also found the mother to be very sick, as a result of suffering from HIV/Aids. The support she and her family receives from the ‘Kindu Trust’ helps her to receive the medical care she so urgently requires.
Since taking over the management of the organisation 18 months ago, Kassahun and the team have made hugely positive strides to making the work they do more sustainable and far reaching. They stated on several occasions that they wanted to ensure that the families didn’t become over reliant on their support, and were aware that it wouldn’t be there forever. The main way they went about trying to achieve this goal was through vocational training. They had recently employed two young ladies to make jewellery out of old magazines, which they then sold in the Kindu Shop, with profit being made by both the ladies (who are family members of sponsored children), and a small amount by the Kindu Trust themselves, to help fund future initiatives. They also had a partnership with a hair salon, and supported several girls each year to receive full training, thus opening up employment opportunities for them. This aspect of their work was really developing well, and seemed to be a real focus of their work.
Another project they were reigniting was the ‘Kindu Club’ and nursery, which would enable the children to visit the charity once a week during the school holidays, to make friends, have fun, and prepare themselves for the upcoming school year. The initiative had just begun at the time of our visit, but already it seemed to be up and running, and certainly showed positive signs of being a great programme for the children. The two boys I had mentioned earlier, Alex and Towadrose, had mentioned how the summer holidays were three months long, and they struggled with keeping themselves entertained. It was also extremely important to introduce the beneficiaries to one another, as previously they had been unaware of the other children involved in the scheme. It seemed to be a great way of increasing the children’s confidence, and also seemed like it may encourage them to talk more about their problems.
Alex and Towadrose had both lost their parents at a young age, and had both ventured into the city form the countryside in a bid to find work. Both of them had spent a long period sleeping on the streets, and had to ‘hustle’, selling chewing gum to make any kind of living. Alex had previously been supported by the ‘Kindu Trust’, and for a while had stayed at their centre for street children. They both spoke fantastic English, a sign of their determination to get on in life, and had both managed to attract sponsors who were currently supporting them by funding their Tourism course, which would enable them to find employment, as well as helping them with their living costs. We spent a lot of time with these two, and really grew fond of them. They have had such a difficult start in life, but are working incredibly hard to further themselves, and find a positive way out of their troubles. They were an absolute inspiration, and I look forward to visiting them again next year, when I’m back in Ethiopia.
On that note, after finishing our time in Gondar, with the ‘Kindu Trust’, we headed down to Addis Ababa, to drop by and say hello to EEF (Ethiopian Education Foundation), where I would be spending at least 12 months from September this year. They are a charity who have achieved an incredible amount in the six years they have been active. Having started by supporting one young man through his studies, the organisation has grown to support over a hundred boys and girls, and their success rate is incredible. I will be writing an entire blog post dedicated to them, and their work, so that is all I shall say for now. Our time with them was fantastic, if not marred slightly by me having been struck down by illness. Our welcoming party, coincided with the Year 12 leaving party, and really it was another fantastic and inspiring night. I am looking forward a huge amount to being back there in September, and helping to develop their work further.
After Addis, it was time to head south, and into Kenya along the infamous ‘Worst road in Africa’ from Moyale down to Isyolo. This would prove to be another incredible experience.
I will leave you with a few extra photos from Ethiopia...
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