January 1999

OPM projects in Ethiopia

The current climate changes are accelerating the process of increasing expanses of desert land in the world. A recent article of Sole 24 ore reported how the Sahara has started to spread again with increased vigor, both towards the north and the south, crossing the "green dam" which had been created by the planting of millions of palm trees. At least 70 million seminomadic people, whose livelihood is farming or sheep-farming and who live and move on the desert border areas, are progressively moving towards the Mediterranean cities of Ethiopia and the Atlantic coast. The conditions of these cities, already hardly habitable, are destined to deteriorate further, forcing new crowds of desperate human beings to try to emigrate to Europe at all costs.

what can be done?
A number of non-governmental organizations are working to stem the phenomenon of the degradation and the erosion of the land and to maintain or restore acceptable living conditions to the agricultural populations.

With OPM funds we are financing two projects in Ethiopia, working with Brot fur die Welt (Bread for the World),an institutuion of the German deaconry, and with the Ethiopian Lutheran Evangelical Church, Mekane Yesus.

Ethiopia has a high percentage of youth (50% of the 60 million inhabitants are younger than 18); the rate of urbanization is low, less than 21%; the average yearly wage is about 200.000 lire per person; the country has been almost totally deforested, in fact, the remaining woods today cover less than 3% of the total surface.

The two OPM projects are being carried out in the districts of Dale Waleba and Wata Dara, involving a population of 25.000 people, each living in a multireligious context; in fact, half the inhabitants profess the Orthodox religion; 25% are Muslims and the remaining 25% are evangelical Lutherans.

The characteristic of these projects is that the problems are faced in an integrated way, being carried out by Ethiopian personnel who have had adequate training, and in total co-operation with the local civil authorities.

The integrated, or joint, approach provides for interventions to defend the land which is being exploited so much today as to be abandoned;.it also provides for the improvement of the agricultural systems and for the breeding of livestock, for the research and preservation of the water supplies both for civilian and for agricultural uses, for the planting of hedges and trees to check the erosion of the land, for the improvement of health and educational conditions of the farmers, the women and children.

The techniques employed are the use of test areas to give practical demonstrations so that imitation interventions are multiplied and small(for us!) loans are given to families to invest in and for the conversion of the land, loans which will be paid back in time, an encouragement to heads of families to assume responsability.

The results achieved in two years of activity are considerable: more than 600.000 saplings are being cultivated in display nurseries, 150 plants from previous crops have already been bedded out on public land, with 70% having taken root; 50 protected water springs supply the same number of reservoirs; 5kms. of dams have been built to keep rain water in check; 10 hectares of land are being used in different areas to demonstrate new crops for the diversification of agricultural produce; more than 30.000 animals are being tended; 100 loans have been granted to families for the improvement of their land and 400 loans have been given to women for the purchase of sheep; several local health centres have been organized to deal with medical problems and dozens of training courses have been held.

OPM financed 75 millions per project both in 1997 and 1998, about one third of the total cost; the remaining sum was provided, partly by Brot fur die Welt and, a small part, by the local Lutheran communities.

It is hoped to continue the projects in and beyond 1999,until, in fact,the results are consolidated;a risky consolidation because we are aware how an unexpected war could destroy in a moment results that have taken years to realize; like the Psalmist of ancient times,we pray that God will establish the work of our hands.

CLARIFICATIONS

On the statement of expenditures of OPM for the years 1997 and 1998 several investments are indicated for which a bank loan is expected, with settlement of debt to be paid over a period of 5 years.

These are as follows: La Noce for 1.400 millions; the Torre Pellice Hospital for 1.285 millions; the Rifugio Re Carlo Alberto for 145 millions; project Alzeimer and 1.300 project RCA 2000 Uliveto for 1.634 millions; Casa Materna for 570 millions and Torino Evangelical Hospital for 2.450 millions.

The reason for a similar decision is that, though expected for some time,OPM funds have only recenty been received and a proposed block of investments for the modernization of our special ministries' institutions had been created in the meantime.To be able to carry out most of the projects put forward(unfortunately not all of them),without penalizing former projects too much, it was decided that the best solution would be to use less than 50% of the expected sum for the next five years.

The estimate of the income was calculated considering the number of tax-payers (145.000) who had previously declared their preferences for the Waldensian church OPM unchanged and the taxation revenue for the years 1996 and 1997 as increased; our estimations have been proved correct and the original sum has remained invariable.in the successive years.

On the one hand, this arrangement has allowed for the distribution of investments to be made over a period of 5 years and, on the other hand, has left a significant margin of 50% available to assist other social ministries and projects.

The weak point is obviously that of taking for granted that the number of signatures will remain unchanged, but, with the help of those who are willing to lend a hand, we believe we shall make it.

Among other things, we are continuing to recieve favourable opinions of the transparency shown by the publishing of a complete statement of our OPM accounts, unique, we believe, for its accuracy.