SMCF Ethiopia - Partners for Change Ethiopia

Annual Review 2011
SMCF Ethiopia
for communities and their children

Director’s Report
2011 was yet another significant year for SMCF and our partner JeCCDO. It has been
exciting to see many of the community organisations we have supported become fully
independent. They are running all of their development projects and are generating
income in order to finance their work. This is a tremendous achievement – five years
ago most of these people had never attended a meeting in their life, let alone knew how
to run an organisation. It is a real indication of how powerful JeCCDO’s model is – once
people begin to take control of their lives there is no holding them back.
Of course there are problems. I recall visiting one community organisation in Debre
Berhan who had just built a community grain mill; unfortunately they were unable
to secure sufficient electricity from the state power company to power the mill. They
explained to me they had sent a delegation to the power company head office in Addis
Ababa. Upon learning they had travelled such a long distance the head of the company
agreed to meet them and when he understood why they needed the power, agreed to
release the required amount. Five years ago they would not have thought about meeting
with somebody in a position of authority but now, thanks to training they have received,
they have the confidence and the skills to negotiate.
2011 also saw the first phase of the construction of the community-based training
centre in Debre Zeit. Having developed a highly effective approach, JeCCDO is keen to
make this available to as many communities in the country as possible and the training
centre will allow it to reach many more organisations. It will also generate income
through hire to other groups.
In the UK, SMCF’s exhibition of photographs of the Negede Woitto community toured
the country visiting Ely, Liverpool, Sheffield and Cambridge. It allowed us to show
JeCCDO’s work to a wider audience and we hope to continue this in 2012.
Our partnership with JeCCDO entered its 27th year and it is stronger than ever. We are
looking forward to working with more communities in Ethiopia in 2012. On behalf of all
our beneficiaries, I would like to thank our supporters, partners in the UK, churches and
charitable trusts who have enabled this valuable work to continue.
Pete Jones, Director
In 2011, thanks to
your support of
SMCF Ethiopia:
• 18 separate communities
had their local organisations
strengthened
• Over 32,600 children and adults
received improved education
• Over 40,000 people improved
their health
• More than 6,000 women were
helped to start small businesses
• Over 8,000 orphan and
vulnerable children were cared
for in a loving family
• At least 3,000 people were
shown the best way of growing
their own food

SMCF Ethiopia and JeCCDO - development
that really works
There is a lot of debate at the moment about the effectiveness of
international aid, especially in the light of poverty and recession
at home. “Is it worth it?” people ask. “Aren’t we just creating a
dependency on aid?”
Well, here at SMCF Ethiopia the respective answers to those questions
are a resounding ’yes’ and ‘no’. And we hope that this review of our work
in 2011 will illustrate those claims.
Over the year we have seen the real changes that your support, together
with the hard work of the people concerned, has brought to communities.
We know that it is ‘worth it’, and that many villages and neighbourhoods
have become better places for children to grow up in and for their families
to live; vulnerable children are cared for, their houses are repaired, water
supply and sanitation are improved and education is encouraged, both for
children and adults.
Not only that, we know the changes that we bring won’t disappear as aid
is reduced or withdrawn. Because SMCF Ethiopia and its partner JeCCDO
have worked with communities to encourage individual and corporate
self-reliance, and to set up robust community organisations, the community
develops enough resources to continue to grow and to begin to look after
its own members. Already a number of local community organisations have
become independent of JeCCDO’s support.
Not always easy
This is not to say that it is always easy, and that things don’t sometimes go
wrong. Improvements can be wiped out by natural disasters such as drought,
flooding or illness, or for an individual family, even something as simple
as a predator getting into a hen house. But by building the resilience of a
community, people have much more capacity to overcome these set-backs.
Everyone has a say
We are beginning to see such changes in the Negede Woitto people, a very
poor community in Bahir Dar who had never received any aid before SMCF
Ethiopia and JeCCDO began working with them over two years ago. You can
follow what happens in that community by signing up to our Partners for
Change e-newsletter.
During 2011 JeCCDO provided water to the community and constructed
a shower and latrine block to improve the environment. The people have

chosen representatives to lobby on their behalf, and everyone can have a
say in the community conversations that take place regularly, so that the
community can decide on its own priorities for change. With their new
confidence, community leaders have begun to work with local government
to secure the land that they live on, to bring much wanted stability to
marginalised people.
But it’s not just the Negede Woitto people who have benefited. The stories
here are just a sample to illustrate the changes that have taken place, every
day, in Ethiopia. Through the actions of individuals and Community Based
Organisations (CBOs), things are improving for the people of Ethiopia. To
us, they might be quite small improvements, and many people still live in
conditions we would find unacceptable, but to the people of Ethiopia, they
represent real progress and show that, in this case at least, development
really does work.

A roof
over her
head
Driving
poverty
away
Jiffare Balcha, nearly 70, is a widow who lives in Debre Zeit with her
three children and a grandchild. Unfortunately, the family has no
permanent income. The two-room Kebele house they live in was built
some 40 years ago and has never been renovated. Through time, it had
deteriorated badly and people used to wonder how anyone could live
inside it.
Deeply upset, Jiffare explained the situation: “I used to hear passersby
mocking and saying my house looked like a birds nest”.
Seeing her plight, the local community organization, Ediget
Yemahibereseb Limat Mahiber, recommended that JeCCDO should
renovate the house, which it did in 2011.
“Now life is shining on me,” says Jiffare. “I have a home. My life started
anew because of JeCCDO and Ediget. But I am sorry that I have nothing
to give them in return except my gratitute.”
Ermiyas Solomon is 22 years old and lives in Kebele 05 in Dire Dawa. His
neighbourhood is also known as Gende Meskin (place for the destitute)
which gives you some idea as to
how poor it is?
“I dropped out of school at grade ten two years ago,” Ermiyas explains. “For
about a year, I wandered about with other youths from my area (we were 13
all together). There wasn’t much work and although we sometimes loaded and
unloaded grain for a local store, it was for a very low wage. We were not at peace
with the local people and were considered as delinquents.”
However, in the second year he and his friends became beneficiaries of Addis
Alem Yebego Adragot Mahiber, a CBO that is a local partner of JeCCDO. He and
several of his friends were selected for vocational skill training in bajaj driving (a
bajaj is the local means of transport in Dire Dawa).
“After the training, I was able to get a job as a driver”, Ermiyas says with
enthusiasm. “Up until then, it had been up to my father - who works in a textile
factory for a minimal wage to take care of and raise the family; my brother,
two sisters and myself. But thanks to this life-changing opportunity, now I can
support my father and am happy that my siblings are going to school properly.”
Ermiyas and his family are seeing tangible improvements in their lives. However,
as there are many bajaj drivers in Dire Dawa, he is planning to upgrade his licence
so he can drive a larger taxi.
And Ermiyas’ self-reliance doesn’t stop there. ”I have also a long-term plan of
pursuing a career in Information Technology (IT), so now I am now learning IT at
Dire Dawa Technical College in the evenings.
“Me and my friends, we know what poverty is and are grateful to the CBO and
JeCCDO for the changes we are seeing in our lives. We just needed a helping hand
in the beginning, and with some support along the way, we can now earn a living
and improve our lot.”

From skivvy to shop owner
Using that money, she opened a small shop selling arekie and tella, (local
alcoholic drinks), bread, tea and injera. Now, she saves 30 birr every day,
has 6,000 birr in her bank account and leads a better life than before. Fasil,
now 14, is a grade 7 student and doing well in school.
In her own words Tewabech confirmed that “my children are better fed
and go to school regularly. We are all very happy. God bless SMCF Ethiopia
and JeCCDO!”
Tewabech Kebede is a widow of 39 who has two sons
and two daughters under the age of 18 who all live with
her. Her husband died in 2006. In the past she was a
domestic labourer working for different households and
earned 250 birr (roughly £9) a month. That was the
family’s only source of income.
child, Fasil Tesfaye, came to the attention of the Kebele 08 Residents
Community Development Association (CDA). They arranged for him
to benefit from the direct support packages provided by JeCCDO with
funding from SMCF Ethiopia. JeCCDO provided Tewabech with 100 birr a
month, 20 birr of which was saved in a bank for Fasil, as well as providing
educational materials, clothing and shoes twice a year.
“My living conditions started to improve from that day,” explained
Tewabech. She took the training program on basic business skills, which
is also offered as part of the support package, to begin a small income
generating activity.
“The training was very interesting and developed my understanding of
running a business. Following that, I submitted a business plan to the CDA
to start the business I intended and got a 2,000 birr grant,” she said.
Since SMCF and JeCCDO supported her family so that
Melkam could go to school, she has gained both the
mayor of Bahir Dar and the Prime Minister’s award for her
achievements in science and maths.

Amare in his
hen house
Helping to ‘egg’ others on
Amare Birhanu, 21, lives in Dire Dawa. He used to support himself through
casual jobs, but this was very insecure. His door to a better world opened
in 2011 when he heard about JeCCDO’s urban agriculture programme,
supported by SMCF Ethiopia, and approached the organisation for support.
He was selected for the programme and took part in a five-day training
course on backyard poultry rearing. In addition, JeCCDO provided him with
five hens and a cock, along with feed and 200 birr (£7.50) to build a hen
house and get him started.
Giving it all his attention and care, Amare now owns 22 chickens. “The amount
of money I get from this business varies from day to day,” he says. “But it is my
main source of income and I am now living a better life. I also want others to
know that chicken rearing is profitable.”
Amare is keen to encourage and support others who wish to engage in poultry
rearing. “Normally, I sell eggs for 2 birr each. But if it is for breeding, I sell them
more cheaply or even give them away, depending on the buyer. So far, I have
given nine people free eggs, seven of whom are women,” said Amare.
Thanks to his chickens, Amare has earned enough to become a first year nursing
student in a private college and wants to expand and diversify his business to
support his training. Amare says, “thank you SMCF Ethiopia and JeCCDO for the
support, encouragement and for never losing sight of me.”
Overcoming the ‘curse’
of disability
Ansha Mekonnen (38) is a mother of
four children - three daughters and one
son. She lives in Kebele 04 of Debre
Birhan. Unfortunately her son Jemal was
born with a hearing impairment.
“The last nine years have been very hard for
me,” said Ansha. “Do you know how difficult
it is to live in a community which has little
awareness of disability? Our community
considers those children born with a
disability as cursed and I was ashamed of
my son’s problem.”
Now, thanks to sign-language workshops
and training organised by JeCCDO and
the town’s Education Office, Jemal’s
communication has improved and he has
been able to start formal education at
Zerayacob Primary School.
“Before taking the training,” Ansha
explained, “I had to communicate with my
son as best I could by body gestures. After
the training, I taught my family the sign
language and now we can all communicate
properly with Jemal. He is much more
contented and also he has the prospect of
an education like any other child. I hope
that JeCCDO is around for a very long while
to help other families like mine.”
“My son was born with a
hearing disability and I
had to communicate with
him as best I could by body
gestures. After training I
taught my family the sign
language and now we can
all communicate properly
with Jemal. He is much
more contented and also
has the prospect of an
education like any other
child.”

About SMCF
SMCF Ethiopia was established in 1985 as St Matthew’s Children’s Fund Ethiopia
to help care for some of the many children orphaned or abandoned following
devastating famine and civil war. It continues this work today together with its
Ethiopian partner organisation, JeCCDO, (the Jerusalem Children and Community
Development Organisation) although the emphasis is no longer on providing
institutional care, but on caring for children in their own communities.
To ensure that children in poor urban slum communities are brought up in
a healthy and thriving environment, SMCF Ethiopia and JeCCDO set up and
resource community development associations (CDAs). We encourage these local
organisations to decide their priorities and select the beneficiaries from the poorest
households. Typical activities include orphan support – providing uniform and
equipment for school – tutorial classes, and providing training in income generating
skills for carers. Community members also learn skills such as urban agriculture
or animal husbandry; women come together to save money, receive business
training and set up small businesses; and the community is mobilised to clean the
streets, and build
and manage
communal
Community-led
toilets and
showers.
The provision
of training
and guidance for
CDAs is central
to the process
– this includes
training on
how to chair
meetings,
keep accounts
and how to
Sustainable
Projects:
Integrated approach:
tackling all areas to break
the cycle of poverty
• Orphans & Vulnerable Children
• Income Generation Activities
• Environment
• Education
• Health
Community-based
Building capacity:
training to gain or
improve skills
fundraise. Importantly for the long term future of the CDAs, committee members
receive training and guidance on setting up and managing income-generating
projects so that their organisation can become financially independent within
5 years. This has been successfully achieved with 19 community development
organisations to date.
Thank you to all our supporters in 2011
Institutional Supporters: Comic Relief, The Baring Foundation, The John
Ellerman Foundation, the JJ Charitable Trust, The Maurice and Hilda Laing Trust,
Hambleden Valley Africa Link
Thanks also to our many individual supporters, schools and church groups for
their continued and much valued support during 2011.
Financial summary 2011
Income Total funds £
Donations from individuals 40,223
Comic Relief 309,871
Other trusts 105,297
Churches 12,115
Sale of merchandise 433
Investment income 384
Total income 468,323
Board of trustees
Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Trustees
Staff
Expenditure £
Payments to Ethiopia 327,751
Support costs 54,529
Governance 16,422
Total expenditure 398,702
balance b/fwd 01.01.2011 £58,508
balance c/fwd 31.12.2011 £128,129
net movement of funds £69,621
For a copy of the full accounts, please contact SMCF Ethiopia
The Rev’d Dr John Binns
The Rev’d Jonathan Burke
Mr Robert Stallard
Dom Colin Battell OSB, Sir Robin Christopher, Mr David Denham,
Miss Margaret Ingram, Mrs Pippa Sandford, Dr Elizabeth Watson
Mr Peter Jones, Director
Mrs Glynys Sykes, Fundraising & Donor Support

Women are learning
new skills to help them
contribute to their
community’s growth
SMCF Ethiopia
32-36 Loman Street
Southwark, London SE1 0EH
Tel: 020 7922 7904/5
web: www.smcfethiopia.org
email: info@smcfethiopia.org