Members of the Afar Community of Ottawa gathered on this day to celebrate the visit to Canada of the Executive Director of the Afar Pastoralist Association (APDA) – Mr. Ismail Ali Gardo – and also of Professor Houssein Ibrahim Houmed, Professor of Philosophy, based in France.
It was an opportunity to celebrate the richness of the Afar heritage, their settlement in Canada, and also to exchange ideas on the many challenges that our People face in Eritrea, in Djibouti and in Ethiopia.
Some very rousing speeches were given, followed by a wonderful feast of traditional foods prepared by the caring efforts of Afar women. The event was punctuated by an exchange of gifts and a cake cutting ceremony by Houssein Ismail, and Warren (Waadee) Creates, President of the Can-Go Afar Foundation.
NB: The Can-Go Afar Foundation has a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with APDA for the purpose of supporting projects in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and beyond. Such projects all revolve around relieving the extreme conditions of poverty such as humanitarian relief for refugees, sponsoring education, shipping medical equipment and medical supplies, providing medical expertise, delivering food supplements, building water infrastructure, supporting maternal health, providing clothing, funding female community-based micro-financing, and financing sustainable development such as traditional housing.
Afar Community Picnic. July 30, 2022. Ottawa, Canada
Afar Community Picnic. July 30, 2022. Ottawa, Canada
Afar Community Picnic. July 30, 2022. Ottawa, Canada
Afar Community Picnic. July 30, 2022. Ottawa, Canada
Afar Community Picnic. July 30, 2022. Ottawa, Canada
Afar Community Picnic. July 30, 2022. Ottawa, Canada
The Can-Go Afar Foundation is very saddened today to announce the passing away – all too soon – of our beloved brother Houmed Mohamade (AKA “Abliss Afarson”) on 11 January 2021.
The Afar Community in Ottawa has lost an iconic figure who added courage and strength to their lives.
Despite being born and raised in an affluent and privileged family in Djibouti, Abliss was a humble humanitarian. He came to Canada in 1991, where he married and fathered three loving children, unfortunately one of whom tragically predeceased her father. He worked in hospitality, as a life coach, and more recently as an interpreter for newcomers to Canada. He was proud of his new home and his Canadian citizenship, and never went back to Djibouti – not even to visit.
He was a great advocate for the Afar cause and a well known entertainer and DJ among East African Communities. Abliss was a founding member of the Afar Community Association of Ottawa (ACSAO) and served as its President for 4 terms.
Abliss always supported the underdog amongst us. He enjoyed hosting events and providing humour to the audiences who adored him. His life wish is to have the unity of the Afar diaspora. At age 51 Abliss had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer.
Like his namesake, he was a gentle, loving, caring, enthusiastic, and joyful soul who was a steady hand in guiding so many friends and initiatives. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Waadee (Warren) Creates President, Can-Go Afar Foundation
Please read our letter addressed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, concerning the Conflict in Tigray and Border Regions of Ethiopia.
Fatuma is holding a camel milk bowl that she spent a week making.
Young healthy girls in the small hamlet of Arta Ou.
Two young camel hearders we met while traveling the Shifra Road.
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!
Can-Go Afar Mission #11 is underway! Our reports from the field say that Warren Creates et al. met with three post-secondary students that CGA helps support in Addis Abbaba before traveling to Mille, in the Afar Region. More to come — including photos — soon!
Many thanks to those who came out to welcome Dr. Margaret during her visit to Ottawa this weekend. Dr. Margaret runs the Barbara May Maternity Hospital which serves mothers and babies in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
Thanks to the generosity of those who came out this weekend Can-Go Afar was able to buy the hospital a mobile ultrasound machine. Many thanks ! And Godspeed to Dr. Margaret!
