Help build a Church & Bridge in Ethiopia!

Hello everyone, my name is Shiferaw Taye Belay. I'm originally from Ethiopia. I had an opportunity to visit my family and friends in Ethiopia in January of 2023. During my visit, I went to the small village where I was born and raised. I met my family and friends after 17 years of living in the United States. Although I was happy to see everyone alive, I was heartbroken by their living conditions. This community is very faithful and relies on the church to meet a lot of their needs, but their church is old and in need of complete repair.

Project 1: Build a new church to meet the needs of the community.

The picture above is the existing church, however, what is not shown is the leaking roof and collapsing foundation/structure.

I have been working with a local civil engineer and leaders of the community to organize the building of the new church. Together we have been able to get a design and have recently started groundbreaking on the new church.

The picture above shows church volunteers from the community digging the foundation for the new church, with guidance from professional engineers/builders.

Another major problem within the community is the lack of a bridge to cross a deep pit that fills up with water, making it impossible to cross during the rainy months. Many people are unable to work, go to school, or even go to church due to not being able to cross this body of water. The community also has many elders and physically limited people who can not cross this obstacle even during the dry months, due to the elevation change. ~6 ft deep in the shallow portion

Project 2: Build a small bridge to help the community cross the trench.

The picture above shows my oldest brother getting ready to cross the trench.

I decided to organize this fundraising to build a small bridge, at least wide enough for people and their animals to cross and help them go about their daily lives. From the picture above it may seem very small and easy to cross, but during the rainy season, from June to mid of September, it is extremely hard to cross.

This bridge is also one of the main paths to reach the church location, and having this bridge will make the construction of a new church much more efficient.

The picture above shows members of the church having a meeting after service.

This community cannot provide for itself financially, they are relying on people like me to help fund these projects. I am dedicated to helping them achieve these projects, and I am asking for help in changing the lives of those in this community. Any donation is greatly appreciated, no donation is too small.

I thank you in advance for your donation. I will be more than happy to provide updates on the progress and status of construction. The people of this village are very thankful and more than willing to put in work, if we provide a little bit of help.

በእንተ ስሟ ለማርያም.....