Development

Development

An Amazing Story!

2025-04-23T17:19:36+00:00

An Amazing Story - Progress in Maji! Back when I was a kid in Maji, we had a pile of sand on our veranda. That sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? But no. We were not allowed to play in the sand under threat of being sent to Siberia (my dad’s favorite exaggerated warning of punishment). Why??? Well, Maji is 8000 feet high, on the last of Ethiopian mountains before the land drops off to the plains of Kenya and the savannahs of South Sudan. There was plenty of mud—clay mud—but no sand. For building with cement (we had [...]

An Amazing Story!2025-04-23T17:19:36+00:00

Trip Report: May 2024

2025-04-03T17:09:39+00:00

In May, Chris Bounds, Charley Bounds, Rick Smith, and Tracy Sauerwein of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho traveled with me to Addis Ababa, Mizan, and Maji. The trip goals were: To have members observe and report back to Covenant PC on the work that MDC has accomplished To introduce CPC members to colleagues and collaborators of MDC To foster relationships between members of the Maji mother church and of Covenant Church To finalize the MoU with Solar Energy Foundation on collaboration in the future work of MDC To finalize the MoU with the Maji Presbytery for building and running women’s [...]

Trip Report: May 20242025-04-03T17:09:39+00:00

August Update

2024-01-08T22:55:19+00:00

Ato Markos reported from rural Maji District this week. At the end of May, work actually began, and this week the crew unspooled pipe and ran it down the hillside to waiting communities. Markos texted, “The people cheered with joy!” I’m going to give you a photo-rich report of the wonderful and shocking progress that the construction crew, led by Ato Markos (MDC Program Manager) and Wzt Helen (District Water Engineer), accomplished in the last three months. But first, let me say that this only happened because Ato Markos pushed and pushed thanklessly behind the scenes for two years, without any [...]

August Update2024-01-08T22:55:19+00:00

Update: Siski and Adikas Clean Water Project

2025-04-09T14:52:37+00:00

Fifty percent of our global citizens and neighbors don't have access to clean water. What a shocking fact that is! This number includes most of the population of the rural Maji District. You may remember that one of MDC's earliest interventions was that we replaced the burnt-out pump at the Maji Town well. We followed up with a solar array to replace the dirty, expensive, and broken-down diesel pump. This returned about 3500 men, women, and children to drinking clean well water, instead of having to visit the trampled springs outside of town. Two years later, our project manager, Ato Markos, [...]

Update: Siski and Adikas Clean Water Project2025-04-09T14:52:37+00:00

In Honor of Women in Maji

2024-01-08T22:55:22+00:00

I set out to start a non-profit organization to better lives in the subsistence farming community of Maji.  I soon learned that everything I do for the community impacts women disproportionately. This is partly because women touch every part of the life of a farming family. The men in Maji plow, plant and harvest. Their wives grow vegetables, herbs and fruit in the homestead garden; bear and raise children; care for aging members of the family; carry water and wood; provide food; take produce to local markets on foot; and help their husbands in the fields. It’s not hard to [...]

In Honor of Women in Maji2024-01-08T22:55:22+00:00

Showing Up

2024-01-08T22:55:24+00:00

In November of 2018, MDC was finishing up paperwork to officially put up the shingle as a nonprofit organization in the US.We were planning an order of solar home systems for electrifying family homes in the Maji District, where the national electric grid doesn’t reach. We had hired Ato (Mr.) Markos to be project manager, and were looking for a young technician to install the systems with solar panes, batteries, three lights and phone charging stations. This spring, at the edge of Maji town, was serving both people and cattle. Then, in a visit to Maji, community leaders came to Chris [...]

Showing Up2024-01-08T22:55:24+00:00

Teamwork Produces Miracles

2024-01-28T20:14:23+00:00

Yesterday I ordered the solar equipment for the Maji hospital! It was a huge victory with many layers--your generosity, Ato Markos's leadership and people-skills (the MDC Business Manager), Ato Samson's persistence (our solar partner), the MDC lawyer team, and the Maji leaders' commitment to the good of their people--with MDC staff and board to pull everyone together. I made the down payment yesterday. In a month, when the order is packed and shipped, we'll make a second payment. When the shipment arrives in the port,  a final payment will cover clearing, transporting, installing and local maintenance training. The everyday work is [...]

Teamwork Produces Miracles2024-01-28T20:14:23+00:00

What’s in a Hospital?

2024-01-28T20:15:42+00:00

Hello, friends of Maji. Summer usually sees a giving slump, but in July MDC was given almost $10,000. Our announcement of a video highlighting the Maji Hospital brought a match offer from childhood friend, Larry Gingrich, and so many of you responded generously. Thank you--you know who you are! Thanks again, Larry Gingrich! Unfortunately, corona virus cases in Ethiopia are rising, and have spread out of the capital city now. As of August 10, cases numbered 22,818, and deaths began to rise from five at the end of May to 407 on August 10. In a country of 100 million, that's [...]

What’s in a Hospital?2024-01-28T20:15:42+00:00

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Solar Electricity. Clean Water. Women's Empowerment.

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SITE CREDITS

Home Banner Video
Noah Friedman-Rudovsky
with permission by NRECA
Photography Credits
Noah Friedman-Rudovsky
And other contributors
Laura Bond, Caroline Kurtz,
Maureen McAuley & Jeri Candor
Web Site 
Mindy Schmidt

CAROLINE KURTZ MEMOIRS

Caroline Kurtz Author Memoirs Maji Ehtiopia

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