Our Beloved Ethiopia – Tarik needs photos put back in.
With all of our four children being of Ethiopian descent, we have a profound connection to this incredible country. Ethiopian generosity is truly inspiring, as everything we do is paid forward. For instance, by providing water to our children’s grandparents, they have also shared it with their neighbours, creating a ripple of kindness and community. The grandparents even care for an HIV-positive friend who would otherwise face ostracism.
Our small contributions have had far-reaching impacts. Rental properties—three one-room houses in the tiny village of Kenbabe—are always tenanted, providing shelter and income for families. The bike hire business in Zeway enables people to visit loved ones, even in critical times, such as seeing a dying relative. Jewellery-making skills taught at the Grace Centre allow women to work from home, preventing the tragic accidents that can happen when children are taken to construction sites.
Grace Centre Jewellery Project
Stephen Dibb Jewellery has been a long-term supporter of the Grace Centre. In December 2010, my wife and I established a jewellery-making project there to empower women and their families.
The Grace Centre was founded by Australian adoptive parents to help single mothers keep their children by equipping them with everything they need to achieve independence. Through the jewellery project, women can earn an income while also caring for their children safely at home.
More information about the Grace Centre. Tax deductible donation for Australians.
Kechene Women Potters in Ethiopia
We also support the Kechene Women Potters by importing and selling their beautiful handcrafted pottery birds. These “Lucky Birds” include stylized guinea fowl, hens, and chicks, painted in intricate patterns. By purchasing these pieces, you are directly supporting the Kechene women and their children, as they rely on foreign buyers for their livelihoods due to the lack of a local market for quality crafts.
If you would like to purchase a set of Lucky Birds, please visit Details about Lucky Birds.
Other Projects in Ethiopia (2004 to Present)
To help lift their children’s biological families out of poverty, Stephen and Lisa Dibb have supported numerous projects, both large and small, including:
- Establishing a farm
- Building a house
- Providing a horse and cart
- Donating bicycles for an existing bicycle hire business
- Covering school fees
- Supporting visual arts and hairdressing training
- Providing medical care, including sight- and hearing-saving treatments
- Clearing fields to make them productive again
- Developing a beehive project
- Building rental properties to provide income and uplift a small village
- Expanding a successful grocery wholesale business x Funding urgent repairs for existing homes
- Supplying electricity and water for the benefit of entire neighbourhoods
- Offering dressmaking training
- Providing a hearing aids.
- Buying a tuk-tuk so a father can support his family.
