Our Travels: Fall 2022
On the first leg of our trip in September, we visited Teza Gerba Primary School (in Southern Ethiopia) to visit a latrine project that was under construction at the time of our visit. In November, this latrine project was completed, which resulted in improved sanitary conditions for their latrine and much needed privacy for its students.
A special thanks the FMFM team and Jonah’s Hands for co-founding this project, and Wisconsin-based, Roots Ethiopia for their efforts to coordinate this trip. We learned of Roots Ethiopia’s great work for the schools across this region in Southern Ethiopia.
While in Ethiopia, we also evaluated the potential to partner with Roots Ethiopia on future latrine and clean water projects and are planning to fund future projects in this region, which is also the birthplace of Myles, the adopted son of the founders of Ethiopia, Chris and Amy Jimieson.
After Ethiopia, we visited projects in Rwanda. Wellars Muhoza (originally from Rwanda) approached Strides for Africa volunteers following the 2021 run/walk event. He connected us to some of his strong connections in Rwanda that were doing great work. One introduction was to his high school classmate, Christelle Kwizera, who is the founder of the social enterprise, Water Access Rwanda, based in Kigali, Rwanda.
We were impressed by Water Access Rwanda’s team, approach, and mission and co-funded our first water project with Water Access Rwanda in March 2022 with the support of FMFM.
Chazale Nkundabagenzi (Sr.Partnership Development Officer, Water Access Rwanda), Chris Jimieson (Founder, Strides for Africa), Maria Nicholas-Groves (Founder, FMFM) Pictured at St. Jean Bosco Secondary School
During our travel, we visited our first completed project with Water Access Rwanda at St. Jean Bosco Secondary School in Rwanda. This water collection, storage, filtration and treatment project collects rainwater from school buildings, and ultimately provides clean, running water for students at the ends of their school buildings.
We also visited locations of 3 future water projects with Water Access Rwanda, and made a connection with a cooperative near the entrance of Akagera National Park, where there will be opportunities to support at least 5 schools in the regions that are currently struggling with water supply and nutrition for their students.
The final stop on our African journey was Uganda. We visited the headwaters of the Nile River, received a warm welcome for our nonprofit work around Soroti, and then closed the trip visiting Murchison Falls National Park. Our work around Soroti, located in remote northern Uganda, included extending water points to several tribal communities from an existing drilled water well and some agricultural tools and training to improve food access in this region.
The project was co-funded with Feeding Mouths Filling Minds and implemented by Youth and Women for Opportunities Uganda.
Overall, it was productive and fulfilling trip to Eastern Africa. We have better clarity on our planned areas of focus going forward to most positively impact schools and communities in this region.
