Menschen für Menschen Switzerland is focused on stopping impoverishment in towns and rural areas and on creating livelihood opportunities.
There are several ways you can help people in Ethiopia. Here you will find all donations with concrete examples.
Cradle of humanity, country of origin of coffee, rich culture and poor families. Over 100 million people live here: A visit to a contradictory country.
ACTIVITIES
To stimulate lasting and sustainable change in rural areas, Menschen für Menschen works on the principle of “integrated rural development projects”. Together with the local people, who contribute high levels of commitment and effort, activities from various areas that are necessary for sustained development are implemented and linked together:
The former project area of Merhabete is situated 180 km north of Addis Ababa. At its highest point, it is 2,650 above sea level. After almost two decades of integrated rural development work, Menschen für Menschen has been withdrawing from the project phase by phase since 2007 and handing responsibility for individual areas back to the local people and the authorities. The project transfer was completed in spring 2010.
According to the final evaluation published in 2010, the foundation was successful in halting and reversing the ecological degradation of the land. Erosion protection measures, terracing and irrigation created new farm land and there were numerous indications of an astonishing improvement in the living conditions of the rural population. One of the strongest indicators of the increase in agricultural productivity was the fact that the district of Merhabete, notorious for being hit by drought, had not required any emergency aid since 1995 – despite a population growth of over 25 percent between 1992 and 2007, bringing the population to 125,000. The increase in productivity brought market-driven forces into play. By the end of the project, 75 percent of children in Merhabete were being taught in schools built by Menschen für Menschen. 91 percent of people now have access to clean water and sanitation facilities; they have also been educated about hygiene issues. And it has also changed the people themselves: 75 percent of those questioned said they felt more optimistic and could look to the future with more self-confidence.
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