Mission Trip #9 – January 2013

Participating Directors:

Warren Creates (President), Marlon Oneid, Jamal Chehem & Tony Stikeman

Participating Donors:

John Borsten, Guy Pilote, Jeremy Pilote & Ronald Duguid

Filmographer:

Chris Mullington

Goals

To acquire documentary footage for use in short films oriented around increasing donor awareness and recording the Afar culture and its current plight.  Audit ongoing projects, interview beneficiaries, and introduce donors/philanthropists to projects and implementing partners.  To deliver much needed medical supplies gathered in Canada to the Barbara May Maternity Hospital.  Visit the Assayita UNHCR refugee camp and attain updates from ARRA and the UNHCR on the current Eritrean Afar refugee population in Ethiopia and current health conditions.

Challenges

The viability of further developing the water filter project was assessed. While the current water filter installation would continue to be supported and maintained by APDA health workers, the Gawani location was not suitable for the project to be expanded any further.  Alternative water capture and filter methods were investigated and are outlined in the mission trip accomplishments.

Accomplishments

All goals set out were accomplished.  Additionally, the mission trip participants reported back to the UNHCR in Addis Ababa about the poor conditions in the Assayita refugee camp.  As well, meetings were held with representatives of Allana Potash Corp., in regards to their planned developments in the Afar region, in order to lobby for indigenous peoples’ considerations in their projects.  Took the opportunity to investigate cisterns and alternative water retention methods that may help the Afar pastoralists abate some periods of drought as future possibilities for project funding.  Mission trip participants funded directly a local education initiative in the remote hamlet of Ge-ga (Afar) to support their primary education classroom.  Five computer laptops were also provided by Foundation Director Marlon Oneid and given to the University students in Addis Ababa to assist in their educational endeavours being supporting by the Can-Go Afar Foundation.  Participants also funded the travel expenses for 2 Afar elders who required medical treatment, one for cataract surgery and one requiring obstetrical care.