OUR MISSION

To improve the lives and future of the beautiful and wonderfully-proud people of Ethiopia, through programs aimed at education and self-sufficiency.

HOME  |  ABOUT US  |  PROGRAMS  |  CONTACT US  |  EELIO BLOG  |  DONATE

RATIONALE
eelio digs is the inspiration of program founder, Hiwot Menbere who has been working for many years to improve the standards and quality of life in his home land of Ethiopia. By moving into communities and teaching the very basics of land preparation, seed planting, simple irrigation, and garden maintenance, Hiwot is preparing generations of Ethiopians for self sufficiency.

The main benefit of school gardens is that children learn how to grow healthy food and how to use it for better nutrition. This can best be done if the fresh garden produce - such as fruits and vegetables - contributes to an existing school meal program, which provides the bulk of the diet.

OUR WORK
With each eelio digs project, our goals are to :

1. Improve food security, nutrition and health of a population by providing access to a reliable and nutritious food supply that will supplement their daily staples and increase the diversity of food types consumed.

2. Improve access to water for drinking, sanitation, and irrigation - promoting systems for sustainability (of each water source) and re-use.

3. Provide specialist training in sustainable resource-use to local partners to increase their capacity for outreach in resource insecure environments.

4. Improve and expand current knowledge of planting and community gardening, information that is currently threatened by changing subsistence strategies and increased competition for natural resources.

5. Disseminate information about the positive impact of improved nutrition to build natural immunity against HIV-related infections.

6. Emphasize the value of indigenous plants and associated knowledge and encourage the transmission of this information within the local primary school, homestead and community.

Cost Worksheet for TWO COMMUNITY / SCHOOL GARDENS

Identification / Planning
$ 500
> email for detailed budget in XLS format

On-site Assessment / Planning
$10,000
> email for detailed budget in XLS format

Implementation
$45,000 - Year 1;    $6,000 - Year 2;   $6,000 - Year 3;    ( schools phased into self-sufficiency by end of year 3 )
> email for detailed budget in XLS format

> support eelio digs

©  2010  .  EELIO INITIATIVE