Electricity for Minota's Grinding Mill, Ethiopia

Minota Gedisha and his family loading up flour from the market.  (Photo: 2019)

Electricity for Minota's Grinding Mill - Jinka, Southern Ethiopia

Minota Gedisha and his family (his wife and four daughters all under the age of 12) have been waiting for three years for electricity to start his business, a much-needed grinding mill in Jinka, Southern Ethiopia.

The amount of 1300 Euro is needed by June 1st, 2019 (when I will deliver it personally to Minota in Ethiopia). This money is needed for the infrastructure to supply his mill with power. Jinka is a booming town in Southern Ethiopia, with a new University and thousands of migrant labourers and entrepreneurs migrating from northern Ethiopia to capitalize on increasing economic opportunities due to recent large-scale agro-development in the region. The town has a shortage of grinding mills and, since it is too expensive for locals to afford to bring in electricity to start a business, this money will accelerate the chance for a local businessman like Minota to have a fair advantage to secure his business and family's livelihood in a rapidly changing economy, increasingly dominated by wealthy entrepreneurs from northern Ethiopia.

I have known Minota for 15 years. We worked together in Jinka, Ethiopia, at the South Omo Research Centre, where he was employed as an accountant. In 2013  he decided to pursue his dream to start a grinding mill.  Over the last five yeas, he saved enough for the grinding mill, but promises to bring electricity to his area have been delayed, dashing his hopes of getting his business off the ground. With this money, however, he would be able to accelerate the process by paying for the infrastructure upfront.

Despite offers from a big developer to buy his land to build a hotel, Minota refused the offer, since he believes in his dream and knows that the annual economic pay off from his grinding mill would be the equivalent of the entire amount he was offered for his land. 

As Minota's wife also explained to me when I visited them in Jan. 2019:

"With electricity, I could help my husband, rather than stand over a hot fire all day preparing injera to sell at the market. I earn 500 ETB (15 Euro) a month doing this and could be earning this in one day grinding flour. It is crazy to think that we own a mill and yet I must still wait in the long line in town to get my flour!"

Minota, his family and the Jinka community will be forever grateful for your support, as everyone wants to see him and his family succeed, especially as increasing competition with  wealthy entrepreneurs from outside of Jinka creates an uneven playing field.

Please donate now!

Thank you in advance for your support.