Gumuz Success

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.

Trouble in Gumuz Land

Ever since Tadesse (KHC church leader) was in Bible School he had a vision and burden to reach out to the fierce war-like tribe of the Gumuz. After hearing many missionary stories of martyrdom in Bible School, he said we will go and die among the Gumuz. His words nearly came true as recently our project team leader and the agriculturalist were running for their lives with a Gumuz man and his gun coming after them bent on killing them.
To make a long story short this may have been a key event in opening up in roads into the Gumuz. It forced community leaders, KHC leaders and local government officials to get involved to prevent the killings. Reconciliation and a peace pact was formed by all concerned and the project members now have unprecedented cooperation, peace and security in their work amongst the Gumuz.
There are now quite a number of new believers among the Gumuz and two churches have been started among the target villages. The Gumuz are also enthusiastically welcoming the inputs of the team in the area of agro-forestry as it will make a huge difference to their health, income security and the environment.
Several of the Devxchange volunteers have been working with former commercial sex workers in helping them to get some vocational training in hair dressing and get out of the commercial sex business. They were involved with the Mulu Wengel church in setting up a shelter for the girls and see them go through training. The girls have all come to faith in Christ and are now active in the church. The church is helping them to start businesses on their own.
The KHC church also put 20 girls through vocational training for hair dressing and is helping them get jobs and businesses set up including Mekedes- the first girl we helped last year and started the ball rolling. She now has her own business and is doing well, thanks to some Australian donors who provided the loan for starting the business.
For the past two years Sue has been running a Bible study with our guards, house help and a shoe shine boy. All of them come from a strong Orthodox background except one, Demelesh. This year all of them have come to faith and are now starting their own ministries in their local communities. Sue and Alex, a volunteer from Australia, bought or donated many books to them and they set up libraries in their communities. They are calling them "Spiritual Libraries". They have become real lights in their communities. They also started helping some of the poorest in the area. They told the people if at some point they were able to pay back the loan it could help others like them. To their surprise all the loans were paid back. They then started helping others and it has now grown into a substantial micro-loan assistance program. They say people are jumping up and down in the community with joy.
As you know by now, this is our last term in Ethiopia as a family. Sue and the girls have already returned to Canada to close a house deal in the Barrie area. I will be continuing part time with Devxchange to help with administration as well as provide support for the projects we have started in Ethiopia.

Project Updates

Every year the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrates what is called ‘True Cross’. This is the symbolic receiving of the Cross Jesus endured. Coincidently the Gumuz also have a cultural ceremony on this day however, it is not in the light of redemption and love. This particular holiday is focused on the local village hero (the most skilled warrior/hunter) who will honor his village by taking the life of another. This hero is placed in isolation to concentrate on the charge he has been selected for and when the time comes he will kill either another Gumuz or Ethiopian man.
The Gumuz have a deep history of animism amongst their tribes and villages. This belief subjects the Gumuz to a constant fear of the dark world, evil spirits and appeasing the organizer and inflictor of it all – the Devil. Sacrifices and offerings are commonly seen around the villages in order to deter evil spirits from bringing harm to their life. Sicknesses are often thought of as punishment from the dark world for not pleasing their requests. Animism holds the Gumuz in a constant fear of the unknown.
On the way into the Gumuz in January we stopped to collect bamboo seeds as the bamboo plant only seeds every 15 years or so. As we stopped to collect seeds we discovered a body. There was a group of visiting Canadians that were traveling with me- they were a little bit nervous as we continued our trip into Gumuz land.
We have helped the KHC church start an outreach program to the Gumuz through agro-forestry. This project is going well and my sister Beth, who visited in February was able to introduce valuable concepts for the Health component. The church has also had an impact spiritually with the Gumuz with about 80 believers now in the 4 targeted villages. They were meeting under the trees but have recently built two multi-purpose church buildings for meeting and training. I am making an urgent appeal for funding for this project as it is critically in need of funds to continue. To read more about this project and help support it click here .
February saw the official opening of the multi-purpose centre with more than 350 people in attendance. This project started with memorial gifts given at my Dad's funeral almost two years ago. A simple block maker was purchased and work began not knowing where the rest of the funding would come from. God provided and the work has taken off in all directions with computer lab, library, People Living With AIDS and micro-finance project, Vocational Training programs, the re-opening of the Bible School, Compassion Project for 250 of the poorest kids in the area and 5 fold increase in the number of members in the church.
After 4 years in Ethiopia we have come to the decision this will be our last term. From the beginning we wanted to make sure that whatever we did we would work with local partners so that when we left the day to day operations would continue on and not depend on us. This enabled us to be involved in starting numerous projects from everything to working with commercial sex workers to a Big Brother/Sister program with the University Students and the many projects with the KHC Church. We are no longer needed in the day to day operations of these projects and will be able to continue to be involved from Canada raising awareness and funding for numerous ongoing issues. Devxchange is also rapidly expanding into new countries with numerous partners that require administrative support in Canada. I hope to continue to make annual trips to Ethiopia to encourage and support the work as well as channel volunteers to assist in various needs. We plan to end our term in Ethiopia the end of June but will continue part -time with Devxchange in the home office so hope many will want to continue to support us in this new phase of ministry. We will keep you informed as things develop.

Christmas in Ethiopia 2007

Christmas in Ethiopia was celebrated January 7. We met with some of the Big Brothers and Sisters from the University and the street kids. We helped start this program a couple of years ago with the Christian university fellowship. The university students become big brothers and sisters to the many street kids in Bahir Dar. This program has really taken off and has now spread to a second university campus. Every time we meet with them there are new members and new street kids that now have a big brother or sister to look out for them.
Earlier in the year our niece, Gypsi Fellows (with a degree in psychology) assisted in conducting several workshops for the university students on being a "street educator". It is very encouraging to see the development in relationships between the university students and their little brothers and sisters. They have really helped change the lives of the street kids. They used to see themselves as creatures destined for the street. They didn't see themselves as children or adults but creatures with only blackness as the future. Many are now attending school regularly and can be seen studying under the street lights at night.
One of the little sisters is now old enough to work full time and we were able to enroll her in our vocational training program for hair dressing. The university students are able to share their lives and Christian faith in a way that is transforming lives.
Sue and Sarah took on a big challenge to share the Christmas story in Amharic using flannel graph material donated by Allon Mack of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Barrie. Sue did an admirable job telling the story in Amharic and Sarah followed right along putting up the appropriate pictures on cue. The story was well received and they asked many questions upon hearing the story. The street kids all come from an Orthodox background and the story of why Jesus came is something that is often misunderstood.
We have exciting news from our last update where we talked about the crisis of people living with AIDS around the church. Women were showing up at the church in tears saying they were on their way to dying with no one to help. So far we have been able to help over 50 individuals, with more than 120 dependents, start small businesses. They are involved in just about every business including small shops, selling oil, making injerra (the staple), painting, horse and gary, carpentry, cutting hair- the list goes on and on. For many it has been a life saver. We organized them into accountability groups of 5 or 6 and they will pay back into the revolving fund every month enabling us to help others. They are asking church members to come and pray for them when one becomes sick.

People Living With AIDS

"We are on our way to dying with no one to help!" We have somewhat of a crisis looming with people living with AIDS (PLWA) in the community around the KHC church we are working with. Every day crying women are coming to the church pleading for help saying that "they are on their way to dying with no one to help." Their condition speaks for itself many are sick and malnourished and they say within two months they will be dead. It is not only them that is of concern but they have many dependants. The support group has about 60 members with over 150 dependants. In Ethiopia 70% of women with AIDS are infected through their husbands. In the group surveyed 40% have already lost their husbands and now they are left infected and with many dependants. Close to 80% of the group have no monthly income.
We have been using volunteers to research the situation. While there are many groups, government and NGO trying to do something for the crisis in Bahir Dar, this particular group have tried all resources and have not been able to get help. It has been particularly frustrating for me as well as I have tried to push my contacts and sources to do something. It reminds me somewhat of the story of the Good Samaritan. Everyone has a good reason why they can't help the man bleeding and dying in the ditch. Thank God that some good Samaritans from Australia (Steve Mackay and Noel Towns) responded to the need and have raised most of the funds needed to help. Our plan is to help setup small retail businesses for those well enough to work- to provide some immediate cash flow. We will provide additional interventions for those not well enough to work. In the long term we want to get them recognized by the government and see land provided for them for urban agricultural products. This is a real opportunity for the church to demonstrate the love of Christ to those forsaken and rejected by all. Click here to contribute to the vocational livelihood fund or for more information.
In November, 14 young women were enrolled in the Vocational Training Fund for Hairdressing (See picture above). This kind of training is to help in keeping young girls out of the commercial sex business, which around 10,000 young girls in Bahir Dar are currently engaged in.
Also in November the new multi-purpose centre was completed and they were able to have their first service. Amid much persecution the church has persevered here in Bahir Dar and it was encouraging to see a small group of less than 30 members a few years ago now with more than 200 worshipping on a Sunday morning and many in small groups in the community throughout the week.

The Gumuz agro-forestry project is well underway. I wrote much about this group in my last update about their values of murder and treachery. For details about this project click here. Much funding is still needed for this project.
With the help of Gypsi (my niece) we were able to conduct several days of training for the Big Brother/Sister program with the University Students. This program reaches out to some of the 6,000 street kids of Bahir Dar by linking up University Students as Big Brothers and Sisters. The students are very enthusiastic about this program and there are many new members this year.

Gumuz Agro-Forestry

Murder and treachery these are values held highly by the Gumuz as a symbol of power, manhood and status. The more men you kill the higher your status. Last year we began to research starting an agro-forestry project among the Gumuz as there seemed to be a desire for change among them including the establishing of several churches through the KHC (Kale Hewett- Word of Life) Church. However, during the recent rainy season June through September the killings have continued even escalating from previous years- a sober reminder of the challenges ahead. Last year the police did a sweep attempting to clear the weapons out of the area but they are all back and in greater numbers. The Gumuz typically hunt and forage with bows and arrows but these days they have machine guns and AK47 assault rifles.
We are setting up a base camp in the town of Gilgel Beles the regional centre for the Gumuz. Two of our volunteers Dan Rossi and Jesse Town accompanied me to help set up the base. They visited an agro-forester with the SIM Janet Winch- who has been working with the Gumuz for several years in an area south of the area we are targeting. While they were there at least 6 killings happened in the villages surrounding the base camp. The SIM runs a school for the Gumuz and 5 of the students had been shot at in the past few weeks with 3 escaping and 2 being killed. 5 of the Grade 10 students have been killed this year so far.
The Gumuz have little or no knowledge of forest management, improved agricultural and health practices or water management. They have been neglected in the provision of services because of their reputation for killing and taking revenge/ payback. Through the KHC church and the efforts of their evangelists some believers and new churches have been established among the Gumuz. These churches and new believers will be key to seeing changes come to the entire tribe. The president of the region is a Christian and is encouraging us that now is the time to do something. In addition to the agro-forestry project we want to see established a leadership development centre and Bible School in the town of Gilgel Beles that can train up Christian Gumuz leaders.
So far this year we've had six volunteers , through Devxchange, over to help us in everything from Teaching English to helping set up vocational training for FCSW's (Former Commercial Sex Workers). They have been a real boost and have fit right in. They are involved in local sports programs through the church as well as music, art, English, micro-loans, people living with AIDS, street kids and vocational training. They have been a real blessing and their enthusiasm has really gained them a place in the heart of the people.
Sue and the girls are doing well. The girls enjoy having so many Aunts and Uncles around (Volunteers). Sue is busy in many things and is continuing her Amharic Bible studies that she started last year. They are now being led by one of the participants (Demelash). They are encouraged by the hunger and growing in faith of the participants. One of the new participants had nothing but a glazed look on his face for the first 3 sessions this year (and he couldn't read), but he is now learning to read and the lights are coming on

Gumuz Startup

This next week I will be leaving for Assosa with Tadesse and Amsalu (two elders from KHC) where we hope to sign an agreement for work with the Gumuz. It is a two day trip one way over treacherous roads so we will be gone for at least a week.
Thank you for all who have helped us transition to Devxchange and ICCM. We are still affiliates of SIM in Ethiopia and the work we are doing remains the same but our funds are now channeled through Devxchange and ICCM.