The Julia Burke Foundation is pleased to partner with Population Services International for a clean water project in Ethiopia. Currently, there is an outbreak of acute diarrhea in Gondar, and our project will provide free treatment of up to 650 million liters of water to local families. For more information about Population Services International, go to www.psi.org
The Ethiopian Self-Empowerment Project's goal is to assist grassroots disability organizations in building their capacity to effectively implement their own, individual projects and to identify the common needs of persons with disabilities in order to allow them to become independent.
Women with disabilities in Ethiopia are very vulnerable from a combination of both gender discrimination and the stigma associated with disabilities. A delegation from the Polus Center traveled to Ethiopia to meet with individuals with disabilities. Using the information gathered from this meeting, the Ethiopian Self-Empowerment Project has been established. The Women with Disabilities National Association of Ethiopia and the Moon Leprosy Cooperative are part of this project. The overwhelming need for immediate assistance by many of the persons with disabilities interviewed is painfully evident.
While the Polus Center remains committed to working with the associations toward addressing long-term needs and implementing demonstration projects, the need for daily sustenance needs to be addressed.
The Julia Burke Foundation grant will help provide emergency, short-term assistance for basic survival which includes food, shelter, and health-care while the Polus Center continues to work toward providing sustainable income-generating opportunities.
For more information about The Polus Center, go to www.poluscenter.org