My name is Dar Brubacher and I’ve been a resident of Wellington County for almost 40 years. I would like to share some of my recent experiences and goals that myself and others are working to achieve.
In January, 2013 I departed Canada, embarking on a six-week backpacking trek through Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa.
The first leg of my adventure was through Ethiopia. Immediately I felt a love for the people while feeling a sadness as I witnessed the poverty level to which they are accustomed.
Travelling from the north towards the south and the border of Kenya, the beautiful people of Ethiopia filled my heart with love. I think of them today.
After two and a half weeks, I left Ethiopia and ventured into Kenya followed by Tanzania.
Both these countries offered amazing safari parks and hostels, which were much more modernized and a greater variety of food.
However, a huge part of my heart wanted to turn around and travel back north.
It’s been said that “Africa calls you back”. Ethiopia was calling me back and continues to do so.
Upon my return to Canada in March, after a six-week experience that opened my eyes and challenged my heart, I immediately started researching charity/relief aid organizations for Ethiopia.
My research revealed that most organizations have paid employees meaning that not 100 per cent of the money raised goes to the projects.
A gentleman I met from Ethiopia put me in contact with a woman from Italy who works for World Doctors. This woman in turn put me in contact with a man named Tesfa. Born and raised in the Ethiopian village of Dabayto, Tesfa now resides in Germany where he has been helping to raise money for his people back home.
Tesfa has helped supply the people of Dabayto with solar powered lanterns and a solar powered cooker as their village has no electricity.
During our conversations, I learned that efforts were underway to raise money to build a water reservoir. The village of Dabayto had no running water and the people were walking 15km one way to get water from a stream.
Ongoing fundraising with a contribution of my own helped towards the completion of the reservoir in July this year.
While chatting with Tesfa online during the following month of August, I learned of his dream to begin building a road to the village. Not the refurbishing of an old road, but a brand new 20km stretch to connect Dabayto to the main road in Awo. A road granting access to the church as well as the local health clinic. I suggested to Tesfa that with determination and team work, perhaps his dream was not too far-fetched?
Raising the needed funds will be a challenge, but I believe we can make it possible.
The many benefits of our road project became quite clear to me the more I researched the area and people of Dabayto and surrounding villages.
At the present time, people who are sick and pregnant women about to give birth must either walk or be carried to the nearest health clinic which is approximately 70km away in Dawhan.
The Red Cross in Ethiopia provides free ambulance services to villages with roads.Villagers who pass on are carried to the church in Awo which is 20km away for a proper burial.
With Dabayto in the mountains having an extremely dry and barren landscape, the cactus grow rampant. These cactus grow a very tasty fruit called beles. With a road, the villagers will be able to take this fruit to the market in Dawhan to be sold and distributed throughout Ethiopia, creating employment. All we need is a road.
Having gained this knowledge and being among these wonderful people, I had to ask myself, “How can I help?”
I had taken many great photographs during my backpacking adventure in East Africa. Perhaps my photographs could help generate some much needed funds and help to make this road a reality?
With the very much appreciated help of a friend who is a photographer, 150 of my favourite photographs have been edited and are being offered for sale at art shows and home parties in this area. All proceeds of course going towards the building of this road.
Thus far, the road has been surveyed and work has begun.The road proposal allows us 16 months to construct the road with a total cost estimated at $65,000.
In October, I flew back to Ethiopia to meet Tesfa who had prepared meetings with the Diocese and local government. They have assured us that they can and will help fund the road construction and wisely recommend the use of less machinery, saving the eco-system while enforcing manual labour to create employment for the villagers.
When they see the motivation and desire from us fundraisers is for real, that’s when they will climb on board and start to help us.
I would like to thank Shoppers Drug Mart here in Fergus for the donation of many hygiene supplies, Dr. Sheryl Howe for dental products, the Elora Legion for providing space during the first art show, and Kathy and Marion from Cambridge for hosting an art show in their home. Thank you to Lety for your hard work and efforts making delicious soup and Morgan for the bracelets you’re making to help raise funds.
Finally, many thanks to all those who donated clothing and other goods and those who bought photos.
This project is turning out to be a true team effort.
