 Art work by Assegid Gessesse
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Melkam InQuTaTash, inkwan le adisu amet aderesachihu. A New Year is truly an occasion to celebrate, and hey, if we Ethiopians get to celebrate it twice, then all the better. Not our fault the rest of the world is on the wrong calendar… .
This year as we celebrate inQuTaTash with our newly refined iskista moves to the latest Ethiopian tunes …. , let us also remember our country folk who will not be celebrating with us and do our share to alleviate their pain and hunger.
InQuTaTash parties have been planned all over these United States. Happily some of these celebrations are focused on raising money for famine relief in Ethiopia. This seems to be especially true of the festivities in California. In the Bay Area, a slammin', jammin' party has been planned for September 9 in the Oakland Convention Center with entertainment by none other than Hamelmal, Dawit Melesse, and Shambel. The party is organized by the Ethiopian Association in the Bay Area and your $25 (or more) donation will go towards famine relief in Ethiopia via OXFAM. For tickets and information call (510) 569-2758 or (415) 249-9109.
Not too far down the coast in Southern California, the Ethiopian Community in Los Angeles has also organized a fund raising event for Sunday September 10 at The Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland, in Culver City, CA starting at 12 noon and ending around 8 PM. For tickets and information call (310)358-2983 or refer to www.geocities.com/ecala2000.
No doubt similar fundraisers have been planned in many cities. Wherever you happen to find yourself for inQuTaTash, loosen up your shoulders .… and then do the same for your purse strings !! You will double your fun knowing that you have also helped your people in their time of need.
| Name of Organization | Description | How you can help |
| Ethiopian Association in Bay Area (EABA) | EABA is a group formed by concerned individuals and representatives of community organizations in the Northern California Bay Area. Their goal is to raise $1 million by the end of September 2000 for famine relief in Ethiopia. They have been raising money via various fundraisers including the planned inQuTaTash celebration. They are also targeting corporate donors. Money donated to EABA will be delivered to Ethiopia via OXFAM who has agreed to lower it's administrative expenses to 10% as opposed to their usual 24 % |
For Donations: Make your checks payable to "Ethiopian Association in Bay Area" and mail your tax-deductible gift to EABA P.OBOX 470127 San Francisco, CA 94147-0127 To donate an item, simply call (415) 249-9109 and leave your phone number. A volunteer will get back to you immediately. |
| HOPE Task Force CSR/letter grade N/A |
The acronym H.O.P.E stands for Help Our People Eat. This is a new organization formed by young Ethiopians in response to the latest famine in Ethiopia. According to their web page "HOPE's goal is to raise awareness, summon support and set up a fundraiser to help ease the suffering. The HOPE 2000 fund is set up to raise at least $1 million by the year 2000. HOPE is also committed to finding long term solutions to the problem of chronic hunger in Ethiopia." HOPE has partnered with WFP (World Food Programme) via the US Friends of WFP in order to deliver aid directly to where it is needed. Their web page says the WFP "acts as the primary agent responsible for the proper allocation of food, efficient transportation modes, effective distribution and follow-up services on the ground in Ethiopia." The US friends of the WFP are a DC area NGO that serve as the collection point for funds donated to the WFP by communities and individuals. The HOPE web page has a very informative special report by the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Mission To Ethiopia | For Donations:
http://www.hope4ethiopia.org/donate.html
You can donate by check or credit card. Make checks payable to US Friends of WFP, Inc and put HOPE Task Force in the memo section. They are working on on-line donation capabilities 100% of donated funds go directly to WFP relief efforts in Ethiopia All contributions are tax deductible.
For Information
or contact : |
| International Red Cross CSR/letter grade N/A |
According to their web page "The Federation, in conjunction with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, will initially be focusing on two districts in South Wollo - Ambassel and Kutaber, where a six month supplementary feeding program was put into operation last year for 40,000 people. The Red Cross is the only international aid organization to work in these two areas, scene of some of the worst famine in 1974 and 1984. " also .. " Nearly 140,000 people in Ambassel and Kutaber are now badly affected by the drought. The Red Cross will be helping the most vulnerable amongst them - the farmers. Speed is of the essence if their lives are to be saved. Funds raised for the appeal will help provide food rations for up to 15,500 farmers for eight months, supplementary feeding for 23,250 at-risk individuals including children under five, pregnant women and mothers with new born babies. The Red Cross will also initiate an employment generation scheme that will provide work for approximately 12,400 households. The money earned will enable the people to buy food on the open market. " and .. "The Federation and the Ethiopian Red Cross will also be assessing the possibility of aid interventions in other areas of the country. In addition, the Federation will be coordinating with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which will be conducting relief operations in various districts in the Somali National Regional State" |
For Donations:
For More Information :
Caroline Hurford,
Richard May, |
| OXFAM CSR/letter grade N/A |
The OXFAM page had one of the most extensive coverages of the famine in Ethiopia. The OXFAM Great Britain site was especially detailed and informative. OXFAM has offices in Canada, UK, USA, Spain, and Hong Kong who are active in Famine Relief in Ethiopia. |
For Donations: For More Information |
| Catholic Relief Service CSR/letter grade 85/A- |
This organization's web page says, "Catholic Relief Services is a founding member of the Joint Relief Partnership (JRP), a group of mostly Ethiopian faith-based organizations formed during the 84-85 famine. Through the JRP, Catholic Relief Services is helping to reach nearly 400,000 with food aid. Local Ethiopian partners are managing the food distributions on the ground while Catholic Relief Services is supplying materials and technical support. Current emergency efforts focus on helping those victims in the southeast region of the Ethiopia. However, the JRP continues to reach the people located in the north as well as the hardest hit areas of Ethiopia. The JRP demonstrates a unique local collaboration of the Church family in Ethiopia. It is motivated to maximize the efficiency and reach of various local Church groups working to prevent famine. Today, as opposed to the famine 16 years ago, the Church network is actively working together to respond to the emergency. Complementing the efforts of the JRP is a consortium of international faith-based non-governmental organizations. Catholic Relief Services is the administrative agency of the consortium tasked with delivering US government food to the other organizations, each of which is responsible for a certain area of the country. Working together, the consortium will reach more than 730,000 people with wheat, corn soy blend, and vegetable oil. The goal is to keep food in the pipeline so that the people of Ethiopia have food until the next harvest." | For Donations :
https://www.catholicrelief.org/ or by mail/phone :
For Information : |
| Medicins Sans Frontiers CSR/letter grade N/A |
According to their web site "At the present time, MSF has identified the Gode zone for immediate intervention. MSF has submitted a request to the Ethiopian authorities for MSF to undertake an immediate nutritional intervention in Denan city. A permanent base shall be set up in the Gode town. The immediate intervention shall be a therapeutic feeding programme that has a minimum length of three months." MSF also provides surgical training for hospitals in Woldya, Wello and runs a n AIDS program in Addis Ababa. |
For Donations :
M‚decins Sans FrontiŠres/Doctors Without Borders has a web site which contains a donation form at http://204.243.96.231/ You can also make a donation by calling 1 (888) 392 0392, or you can send your donation directly to: American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. If you have any questions, you can call the Donor Services Department at (212) 655-3759. Tax receipt will be provided For More Informationhttp://www.msf.org/ projects/africa/ethiopia/ |
| CARE CSR/letter grade 87/B+ |
The CARE web site says "CARE is one of the world's largest international relief and development organizations, with projects in more than 60 countries. CARE began working in Ethiopia in 1984 to distribute food during the famine. The organization's activities have evolved into development work, including small economic activity development, agriculture and natural resources and reproductive health programs. Responding to the crisis in Jijiga, CARE is tankering water to local and refugee communities, and will launch an emergency food distribution of 360 tons of maize over three months, starting the week of April 24. An estimated 20,000 people will benefit from the program. CARE also works in hard-hit Borana Zone and East and West Haraghe, providing food, water, employment generation and other emergency services." |
For Donations:
https://ssl.charityweb.net/care/
For More Information : For general information you may call 1-800-422-7385 Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m |
| Save the Children CSR/letter grade N/A |
According to a press release on April 5, Save the Children joined with Oxfam in calling international attention to the deteriorating conditions in Ethiopia. Their web site states that their activities in Ethiopia include "operating relief efforts primarily in the Gode Zone region of southeastern Ethiopia, until now the hardest hit region. Save the Children has established a therapeutic feeding center at the local hospital where the agency has hired a nutritionist to oversee the program. Therapeutic feeding is recommended for any child under 70 percent of the standard weight for height. The number of children being admitted to the hospital to receive this feeding is double what was first expected. There is also a supplemental feeding center for malnourished children, helped by the recent emergency airlift of 30 metric tons of high protein biscuits by USAID" |
For Donations
Or mail: Save the Children Ethiopia Famine Relief Appeal You can specify that your donation is for relief efforts in Ethiopia. An acknowledgment will be sent for donations. "Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
For More Information |
| World Food Program CSR/letter grade N/A |
The current work of the World Food Program in Ethiopia according to their web page includes "In January, WFP launched an emergency drought operation aimed at providing 2.3 million people with 250,000 metric tons of food aid for a period of nine months from April to December 2000. WFP also plans a program of supplementary school feeding which will target 145,000 school children per year in the worst affected areas of the country. This brings to 265,000, the number of children benefiting from the project" In addition WFP uses free school lunch programs to encourage parents to send their children to school, and combats urban poverty by providing food aid to migrants from the countryside to the towns and cities. |
For Donations Donations go to Famine Relief efforts in the general Horn of Africa region, and are tax deductible for US tax payers.
For More Information |
| Christian Children Fund CSR/letter grade 79/A- |
Their web page informs readers that "CCF began providing famine relief support last year to children and their families in the rural Shashemene District where CCF projects are located. Now, the government is requesting additional emergency aid to avoid mass starvation among its already struggling people. CCF has procured additional maize for some projects and food distribution will begin shortly, but that is only a start at curbing this disaster. Your help is needed." | For Donations:
Please go to: To donate by phone call 1-800-776-6767 or by mail
For More Information: |
| Food for the Hungry CSR/letter grade N/A |
According to their web site, the activities of Food for the Hungry in Ethiopia are summarized as follows "Food for the Hungry has worked in Ethiopia since 1984 and is implementing a $5 million emergency relief program to help more than one million people living in the Amhara and Oromo regions. "Our strategy is to focus most of our efforts on South Gondar where we have the logistical capacity to implement relief efforts," said Stocker. "This is in line with the government's desire to see agencies focus their relief efforts where they are already working," he added. "We also will airlift food and medicine as needed to the most affected regions," said Starks. "In many places there is no infrastructure for trucks to deliver food." Food for the Hungry is an international relief and development agency of Christian motivation with programs in 30 countries. " |
For Donations:
Donations go to general Famine Relief in Africa |
| Action Against Hunger |
Action Against Hunger (AAH) has apparently been active in Ethiopia, particularly in the Ogaden region, since 1985. According to their web page, AAH was the only international organization active in Kebri Dehar when the drought was declared a national emergency. So far they have provided water for around 30,000 people. Their activity report summarizes their activities in the Korahai zone of the Ogaden which include: therapeutic and supplementary feeding programs, measles vaccination, seeds distribution and animal health. | For Donations: www.aah-usa.org/donationsonline.html For on-line donations. Donations are also taken by fax, telephone or mail, refer to http://www.aah-usa.org/howtohelp.html All contributions are tax-deductible. For More Information: http://www.aah-usa.org/ or contact Anna Kar at anna@aah-usa.org Action Against Hunger 875 Ave. of the Americas Suite 1905 New York, NY 10001 (212) 967-7800 |
| InterAction |
InterAction, is a coalition of over 160 US-based private relief, development and refugee assistance agencies who have agreed to abide by a set of standards to for accountability, professional competence, and quality of service. Some of the organizations listed in our summary are members of InterAction. Their web site provides a list of the member organizations that are active in famine relief in Ethiopia, as well as a summary of their activities. | For Donations: Donations are given directly to one of the member organizations. Please refer to the InterAction web site for the list at http://www.interaction.org/ethiopia/index.html For Information: http://www.interaction.org/ethiopia/index.html |
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