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P. O. BOX p:- Oembidollo, W. Wollega, Ethiopia

Ta: STICHING OUD IN AFRIKA,

Postbus 225
3300 AG DORDRECHT
The Netherlands
Phone +31 786149975 (+31 78635 11 11)

Re: Application to renew Old Peoples Help in Alecu fOl" the Year 2009.

Dear Henk,

Dear Board,
We, Alecu Daughters of Charity are grateful for the help you have been sending for the year
2008. Now we would like to request your kind cooperation to renew Old Peoples' Help for the
elderly of Alecu for the year 2009. The details are as follows.

Background of the Project area

The Daughters of Charity carne in 1962 to Dembidollo, Danka. They traveled to Alecu on
horseback for 30 years as an outreach to give services to the people by opening a clinic. Then
because the service demanded by the people in Alecu was more than the sisters could address by
outreach program, the sisters decided to open house in Alecu in 1993.

Since 1993 as the sisters are stationed in Alecu, thcy were able to extend their services to
education, wamen in development and other services to the paar of the area. They have opened
Montessori kindergarten which takes about 140 children from the areas annually and
accommodates them with feeding and if needed clothing. This is because most of the children
come from paar families and most of them are hungry. The wamen program is mostly in raising
the awareness program in gender issues, and tries to improve the income ofthe wamen of Alecu.
The sisters also visit the houses of the paar in the area and render the services needed by the
poorest of the poor. For exarnple they have helped those who lived in dilapidated housed to

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build a decent house, helped those who have no oxen to buy an ox in order to enable them to use
it to plough their land so that they can feed themsel ves. They also help poor students for house
rent, educational materials and school fees for vocationallevels.

The poly clinic has been and is still serving 7 Kebeles (local administration) with a population of
22,000 with an outreach MCH and vaccination programs in 4 areas.

Alecu is 22 Kms away from the town of Dembidollo. The mud road which leads from
Dembidollo to Alecu is mostly eroded by torrential tropical rain every rainy season and is very
slippery after rain. It is a must that one has to wait until the sun comes out and dries the mud if it
rained in order to get to Alecu. If not, the cal' gets .tuck in the mud or slides in the mud which is
dangerous. To drive to Alecu takes one hour and thrce hours on foot by short cut.

The residents are farmers. They grow maize, surgom, wheat and they are also engaged in animal
husbandry. The size of land for households is vcr)' 'imitcd, So they do not have enough to feed
themselves the year around. They are poor.

For the elders in Alecu, life is hard. The only help for them comes from their family. Vet as the
people in the area are on subsistenee economy, thcy can not provide much for the elders who
need medication on regular bases, clothing and fOO,I. The OPA program arrived last year and it
has been a God sent blessing for these people.

Objectives:-
The overall objective of the Daughters of Charity i-: to work with the poorest people in the area
towards alleviation of poverty and improvement in their social wellbeing. The specific objective
ofthis project is to provide financial help for the elderly who have no one to help.

Financial Supply:-
The provision of financial supply to Alecu elderly «ould make the life of the elders better. The
only help which was directly addressing the elders in the area is the one which we got from
OPA; and the elders were very happyabout it and have been looking forward for that help since
it started. The monthly 25 birr has been mostly uscd by the elders to buy food as this year has
been difficult with high cast of food items and failure of the short rain for the harvest. The one
hundred birr which is provided for the Easter and Christmas has made their feasts more festive as
it covers sorne of their casts and brought more food to the house.

Budget for the year 2009:-

Monthiv Allowance for 70 Elders 25x70x12 21,000.00
Christmas gifts 100x70 7,000.00
Easter gifts 100x70 7,000.00
unforseen casts for elders 5,000.00
Total 40,000.00

Reporting and Evaluati n

We have to admit that we have not been reporting 11 time for the year 2008. But we will try to
improve and report in time for the year 2009. We know that the help has been a great value for
the elders and for their sake, we will try to report or 'ime. We are sorry for the inconvenience.