I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Everything seemed to be going against us when we started the Gumuz agro-forestry project. The Gumuz have lived for centuries as a war like tribe where killing is one of their highest virtues. They have always been hunters and gatherers eking out an existence by foraging for food and hunting anything that moved. Last year when we visited it was only one month after what was supposed to be a harvest and they were already out of food. This type of existence causes the adults to daily hunt and forage for food leaving the children in the village on their own with only the elderly and the sick to care for them. 
The mortality rate is extremely high for children under 5 and they suffer from all kinds of health issues including a high rate of malnutrition. An environmental disaster was also in the making as they were cutting down all the trees to sell for charcoal. No one gave our intervention efforts much hope as harmful traditions and cultural practices are ingrained and not changed readily.I visited our Gumuz agro-forestry project through KHC church just before leaving and the changes in the lives of the people is more than dramatic - it's unbelievable. We visited all of our target project villages and the change was uniform. Fences had been constructed around all the huts and yards of the Gumuz- they were planting crops around their houses and planting medicinal plants, fruit trees, trees for timber, shade, water conservation and others by the thousands. They were staying at home and working hard instead of hunting and foraging. There are also many new believers being discipled through the KHC church and evangelists.
This last year in Bahir Dar we were able to help more than 40 young women at risk and commercial sex workers get vocational training in hair dressing. The graduation included members dressed up in bridal fashion- demonstrating hair styles for weddings. One of the bridal party members was one of the street girls (a little sister) from our big-brother /sister program with the university students.I returned to Canada June 26 just in time for my nieces wedding (Elise). We will now be stationed in Barrie Ontario for the foreseeable future- working with Devxchange part time and continuing to promote and assist the projects that were started in Bahir Dar.
My work with Devxchange will include Office management, Data management, volunteer coordination, project and project lead member support, financial management support, public relations and promotion. As a project lead member for the many projects that were started in Bahir Dar, I will also be raising funds to continue to see these develop and make an annual trip to monitor the developments.
