Building Hope

Helping people to help themselves






Current Projects

Karagutu School Library Project

 

The Katagutu school is located in Dessie (also spelt Dese), 250 miles North of Addis Ababa with a population of about 210,000 people.

 

The city is cramped in a small valley, between the lowlands and the plateau. Approximately one third of the population are migrants from the neighbouring rural communities.

 

The school has currently 913 pupils and 13 teaching staff. Due to a lack of classrooms only half of the local children attend school and the classrooms are overcrowded and in need of repair. Some new school buildings are being built by the Ethiopian Government, as a prize for the school’s achievement and excellence and to accommodate the pupils who have doubled since 2006.


The construction of the library started in May 2006 and is now finished . The building is 108m2 and has two rooms with two large windows (4mx2m) wide in front and rear. The roof is made of galvanised corrugated iron sheets and the chip wood ceiling is divided into panels. It costed about £9,000 to build the library. The library is fully furnished and the latrines have been built.

 

We worked closely and in partnership with the school community (parents, teachers and pupils). Their contribution came in labour contributed on workdays at the start of the project.

 

Community contributions accounted for 10% of the cost of building the library. Each contribution not only made a critical difference for one school and one community, but also helped all the communities to remain involved in their children's education for years to come.

 



Housing Development Project for a Community Affected and Disabled by Leprosy

 


Leprosy Facts and Myths


Leprosy is caused by bacteria or germs called Mycobacterium leprae. It is an infection that affects the skin and the nerves of the hands and feet and can also cause problems in the eyes and nose. The most common first sign is usually a spot on the skin that may be slightly red, darker, or lighter than normal skin. The spot may also become numb and have lost hair. Some of these spots may slowly increase in size and new spots may appear on other parts of the body. More often they appear on the arms, legs, or back. Sometimes the only sign may be numbness in a finger or toe.


In most cases, it is spread through long-term contact with a person who has the disease but has not been treated. Most people will never develop the disease even if they are exposed to the bacteria. Of the world's population, 95% have a natural immunity to leprosy. Patients on medicine for leprosy do not spread the disease. When a person is placed on medication, most of the bacteria are killed within a few days. Within two weeks of starting the medicine, there is no risk of spreading the disease to anyone else. It is not necessary to isolate a person with leprosy at any time. Also, it is not transmitted through sexual contact or pregnancy.


All newly diagnosed persons take three medications: dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine. They may be taken for six months or longer. Most persons with leprosy take their medications at home. They continue their regular jobs and daily activities. The medications now available are very effective in killing the bacteria. The disease can be cured if the medications are taken as prescribed.


Once cleared of the bacterium, persons affected by leprosy are still burdened with the disabilities which the disease causes. These include deafness, blindness and deformation and/or loss of fingers and hands. These disabilities, together with the prejudices towards leprosy sufferers still held in the wider community, are a major handicap to members of the ex-leprosy community and seriously reduce their economic opportunities and earning power.


The leprosy communities (189 families) occupy two sites in Dessie and one site in Combolcha. One site is used as a rubbish dump by the wider community, the other is on land adjacent to a cemetery and belongs to the church. The small huts have been fabricated crudely, on one of the sites the roofs are drafted predominately from recycled plastic. Typical dimensions for these shelters do not exceed 3m x 3m. Often families of five or more will live in these cramped spaces together. None of the dwellings adequately keep out rain water, damp or vermin and the general level of hygiene is very poor. There are no formal facilities for sanitation and no electricity for either site. Adjacent land, including the above mentioned graveyard, is used in both cases and causes tension with the neighboring residents, often inciting abuse. There are essentially no kitchen facilities.

 

In partnership with the Ethiopian National Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy and South Wollow local association in Dessie Building Hope is helping to fund the construction of houses for the most destitute families living in Dessie. The project started in 2006.

 

Each house comprises 3 rooms with outdoor latrines and has a building frame of eucalyptus poles. The walls are plastered with a mixture of soil and straw and the floor is made of concrete. Some families have running water and electricity and are well integrated into

the wider community.

 

 


 

 

Building Hope is also providing opportunities through self-employment/income generating activities and funded the smoke-free stove making workshop for 10 members of the community affected by leprosy. GTZ Sun Energy provided the technical and business management training.

 

The stoves are especially designed for the baking of the traditional Ethiopian bread Injera and are made of cement and sand, and are efficient (min. 40% fuel saving) and clean burning.

 
 

 (Pictured right some of the stove producers)

UK Registered Charity No. 1110814