ETHIOPIA

Books: Since its founding in 2003, Ethiopia Reads has connected over 100,000 children with books through 47 libraries including the famous “donkey” mobile libraries, published the country’s first children’s books in one or more of Ethiopia’s 87 languages plus English, and trained numbers of indigenous educators.  In 2008 CNN named Ethiopia Reads founder, Yohannes Gebregeorgis, one of its top ten “Heroes.”  In 2010 through 2012 funding for upgrading the library at a key girls’ school in Addis Ababa, establishment of ten model regional libraries in partnership with USAID and the Ministry of Education, and, publication of two or more diglot books is being made available through Montview’s Capital Campaign Drive.     See: www.ethiopiareads.org.

Water: In Ethiopia, the world’s poorest country, the majority of the population has no access to clean water.  A profoundly high incidence of illness and death, especially among children, results.  In 2008, 2009, and 2011 Montview provided funds for seven clean water projects in the country’s Western Wollega Province.  These projects supply a lifetime of clean water to over 6,000 people in six communities at an average cost of $3.00 per person.  Christians and Muslims share this water, learning to work together as they maintain the projects.  Further projects are planned.