Mission 11 is just nearing the end of our 2 weeks in the Afar Region in support of the humanitarian and charitable work which, with your generous support, we have now been funding for 8 years. It has been a great trip. We have enhanced our many relationships here, met with our local implementing partners, interviewed our beneficiaries, and decided on new funding models. It is absolutely thrilling to be impactful, for a community of people who are so inspiring, so hospitable, and so grateful.
I have attached a few photographs that represent just some of our work: Fatuma is a women who lives in Asayita (the former ancient capital of one of the 5 Afar Sultanates). She is part of an income-generating collective of women who are preserving Afar craft work and making a modest revenue by selling their products. Fatuma is holding a camel milk bowl that she spent a week making. Can-Go Afar bought it and will auction it (with this great proud photo) at our next gala fundraiser.
The second photo is of young healthy girls in the small hamlet of Arta Ou, population only about 50, which is a very traditional pastoralist community. We were welcomed overnight and slept under the stars with their camels in this remote community.
The 3rd photo is of 2 young men who we met while traveling the Shifra Road, crossing through a region deeply affected by the severe drought that has put incredible strain on a wide region, causing significant disease and collapse in livestock herds. These young men are camel herders. We shared our water supply with them. We have also funded a drought relief project sending food and hygienic products into the remote barrens of the Afar Region.
Finally, and perhaps most significantly, we spent time with some of the 25 women who are part of a micro-finance project in Arta Ou. They are engaged in livestock fattening and trade, an ancient practice which the Afar know so well. But in this case the women, who are the head of the family household, are buying, selling, making profit, saving, and supporting the health of their families and the future of their children through education. Earlier this year we funded this initiative in this region, did so this trip with a small investment, and hope to do a lot more of it in the coming months. These micro-finance income generating projects build capacity and insulate communities from the vulnerability of global warming, drought, and threats to their livestock. This is a simple, small-scale initiative, however, the profit, savings, and re-investment track record of these women is impressive.
Perhaps the relationship we are most excited about is that with the maternity hospital which is saving the lives of women and their babies. We bring medical supplies which they have trouble sourcing, purchase important medical devices for use by the staff, provide medical and engineering expertise, and do everything we can to enable them to do what they are extremely good at: reducing the maternal death rate of Afar women, who have suffered from one of the worst and highest incidence of maternal mortality in the world.
Thank you all for your kind support! We are particularly thankful to our major donors, Mark Janoska and Martin Low, who have joined the trip this year. Traveling with them and introducing them to the wonders and challenges of the Afar People has been a complete joy!
Warren
President
The Can-Go Afar Foundation
