Megaladi, Ethiopia is one of GHNI’s newest Transformational Community Development (TCD) Villages.

The living conditions in the village are particularly difficult. For example, before GHNI, there was no potable water within the village for drinking or irrigation. The villagers have seen other organizations attempt to help; all have withdrawn before any significant change happened. Even the government has given up on them.

Abandoned in one of the hidden reaches of the world, the village has had hurt piled on top of hurt. Understandably the people in Megaladi are a little standoffish and wondering, “When GHNI will abandon us, just like the rest?”

So, what makes TCD different than the other organizations that there is now hope of transformation in this community? The answer is community ownership and community participation. GHNI didn’t impose a formulated solution to their water problem, but asked the community to identify, prioritize and solve their own problems.

Working together, with GHNI’s help, the community identified a previously untapped water source. Working together the people of the village, armed with shovels and motivation to work hard, prepared a pond whose water can be used for irrigation. Now fifty men and women are working together to build terraced farmland for cultivation.

Together they have accomplished more than any of them imagined possible and slowly the people are warming to us and are beginning to trust us.

Still, many challenges face the people of this village. The community lacks the tools necessary to make their farming efforts meet the lands potential. This farm will put food in their families’ stomach and help produce income which will give their children the opportunity to go to school; many of which can not afford to.

The early successes of working together in creating a viable water source are causing the people of Megaladi to warm to us and trust the power of working together. We are confident that if they are provided with the right tools and training, they will achieve self-sustainability. They will be a community completely transformed.

Would you help hidden villages in Ethiopia, like Megaladi, find hope within their devastating circumstances?

There are two ways you can help:
Adopt Megaladi or another Ethiopian village and be part of the full transformation of an Ethiopian community.