Role of PBF Coordinators in Ethiopia: Selfless commitment for the poorest of the poor

PBF has implemented various programs to uplift the living conditions of marginalized communities in Lalibela. These efforts include access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, ensuring a holistic approach towards poverty alleviation. PBF coordinators are crucial to these humanitarian efforts because they organize support for choosing worthy projects, bringing up significant issues, delivering a suitable action plan, and keeping an eye on and assessing the projects. Their coordination skills and expertise in identifying the specific needs of marginalized communities have been instrumental in the successful implementation of these programs. Additionally, PBF coordinators also work closely with local stakeholders and government officials to ensure effective collaboration and sustainable development in Lalibela.

Among this team is Abebe Zewdu, who serves as our dedicated coordinator in Lalibela.

He is an idealist, a highly educated individual, and the founder of several various megaprojects that the PBF has undertaken in Lalibela together with other team members like Sisay Amare, Mesay Mekuanint, and Getachew Sale. These include the PBF Memorial Clinic, Laudato Si Village community housing for the poorest of the poor, and community-based health insurance.

 

The team has shared the last-minute discussion of 2023 as follow.

 

Minutes 10
Location: PBF Office
Date: Dec 22,2023
Time: 9:00AM

Issues Discussed:

1. 1. Pilgrims Feeding
   2. Holiday Support
   3. Community Housing: Inauguration
   4. Plans for 2024
   5. Pilgrims Feeding

As Christmas is approaching and as we are here getting ready to welcome pilgrims from every

corner of the country, we plan to make the same program like last year.

* Our feeding program will happen between January 5 to Jan 8, for four days.

* The feet washing also continues during those days.

* The program will be set up at the same place last year in front of the Pearl.

* We will provide the same meal with last year; Injera with Shiro and Bread.

1. 2. Holiday SupportIt is clear that with the continued unrest of the region and with the very high living costs every time, our people specially the destitute are suffering and people are getting sick of hunger.

For instance, a 3kg Teff alone is tripled (300 -400birr) from the price last year. And this is the basic food for us. A single person will need may be 15Kg per month. Imagine how much it is in money wise.

So the 600 birr support to our destitute is not enough for them even to buy the basic food Teff.

So, like the other times, we plan to support them with: -25Kg Wheat Flour and 2litres of Cooking Oil so that we make sure they have something to eat during the month.

* In addition to this, we will also provide our holiday gift with Ox meat early morning at the day of Genna.

1. 3. Community Housing: InaugurationAs the houses are at the final stage of completion, we plan to inaugurate after Genna, on Jan 10.

* The inauguration program will be organized like the way we do for Amanuel Village. We will send you the detailed schedule later.

* We have a total of 24 rooms in 3 blocks. Six rooms are reserved for our destitute and the remaining 18 rooms will be delivered for the other destitute selected by the Kebele.

* We wish to know from you how you want the inauguration to be held and if there is any program to be added.

1. 4. Plans for 2024

# Community Housing
* As we still have more housing requests from the increasing number of homeless destitute and disables, we wish if PBF can continue building such villages to address more people.

# Water
* The PBF team has been actively searching for areas with less water access out of Lalibela. Accordingly, we have reported that there are some rural areas where people are really suffering with no water access.

So, it would be so important if PBF can look for financial suppers for such kind of community supports. The team on the ground will provide clear proposals and analysis for each water projects.

# Schools
* The same with the water problem that b there are also areas out of Lalibela where the little kids have to travel for hours to get the basic education.

There are schools where kids have no chairs to seat, no books, no class rooms and forced to take lessons under a tree or plastic tent….and more.

So, we still wish our PBF can consider such problems and stretch the support to this kind of generation building project.

# Destitute Emergency support
* As the country is in a continued unrest, the living costs are so increasing almost every day and more people are in a situation not able to afford the basic needs including food. You can imagine what does it mean to our destitute who are not even able to afford their food during the good times.

* So, it is to forecast the situation ahead and the prices will be even higher and higher shortly. It is again worst when roads are blocked and when people are not able to bring goods from other towns.

* So, the team considers all such problems on the ground and we wish if we can have such emergency supports for our beneficiaries like the Wheat flour, oil and Rice.

# Solar Irrigation Projects
* This is also one of the important projects which can improve the lives of people with more productivity. We have areas where there are rivers but farmers can’t access the water.

So, the solar irrigation system will be more helpful for the farmers to be more productive and helping the farmers is helping the people in the other way.

# Those are the points we have discussed and let’s get your feedback for those suggestions.”

PBF Team: Lalibela, Ethiopia