Brothers of Good Works Water and Sanitation

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INTERNATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL PROJECT 1088 Brothers of Good Works Water and Sanitation Improving the health of poor communities Addis Ababa,

1 INTERNATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL PROJECT 1088 Brothers of Good Works Water and Sanitation Improving the health of poor communities Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2

2 We are a Catholic ministry that serves the poorest of the poor internationally by channeling aid through dioceses, parishes and Catholic missionaries, cost-effectively helping the poor break the cycle of poverty while advancing Catholic evangelization. Rather than create new institutions to distribute aid, we support existing ministries and churches already serving the poor. In addition to being the most cost-effective way of helping the poor, empowering these ministries allows us to support the Church s spiritual mission and its important position of leadership in poor communities. We consider every gift we receive as a precious resource from God. We direct every donation to its intended project, provide honest and accurate reports to our donors, and keep overhead costs to an industry low. We handle funds with utmost integrity and hold our ministry partners in the field to the same high standards by asking them to document costs and the impact of their outreach. We invite you to join with us as we seek to transform the lives of the poor materially and spiritually ways that please the Father and glorify him in Heaven and on earth.

3 Project Synopsis Description Bring sanitation facilities to poor families in Ethiopia and include training in hygiene and sanitation. Purpose To prevent disease caused by unsanitary living conditions and bring the love of Christ to destitute families. Affiliation The Brothers of Good Works a congregation that ministers to the poor, in whom they try to see the suffering Christ. Cost $113,300 is needed to build six latrines with six seats each, five public latrines with four seats each, and one public latrine with three seats. Fifty-nine seats will benefit 443 adults and 637 children! Location A poor neighborhood in Ethiopia s capital city of Addis Ababa. Project Summary Like most developing countries, Ethiopia does not regulate pollution or sanitation disposal. The majority of the population uses pit latrines. In poor communities where such facilities do exist, they are either poorly constructed or overflowing. Most people are unaware of proper hygiene and sanitation practices, resulting in the spread of communicable diseases. The Brothers of Good Works has selected a very poor community in Addis Ababa in dire need of latrines. Because of a cholera outbreak in the region, Cross Catholic Outreach has chosen to increase funding to meet the urgent need for improved sanitation. The government has donated land on which to build the latrines, and the families have unanimously agreed to be responsible for the cleanliness of the latrines and participate in hygiene training. The Brothers of Good Works needs funds to purchase construction materials and to pay for skilled labor. Jesus teaches us to put the needs of the poor ahead of our own. Our needs, even if legitimate, will never be so urgent as those of the poor, who lack the necessities of life. Pope Francis 1

4 The Need Most developing countries don t regulate pollution from factories, farms or homes. Ethiopia is no exception. In Addis Ababa, the capital city, raw sewage from homes and factories defiles the ground and seeps into the groundwater, creating a variety of health problems. The majority of the population uses pit latrines, most of them poorly constructed and improperly maintained. Many eventually overflow. Waste collection services are also conducted in an unsanitary manner. Containers are filled with waste and thrown onto the back of a truck. Bumps in the road cause the containers to splash and spill into the streets. Eventually, the refuse reaches the outskirts of the city, where it is dumped with no proper waste management or treatment. Catholic leaders are looking for ways to help a population that needs training on hygiene practices regarding food, water, personal hygiene and proper waste management. Their goal is to bring relief to people suffering from a scourge of communicable diseases, and the task is daunting. Conditions are worsened in urban areas where the poor live in crowded, dilapidated shanties with very poor or nonexistent sanitation facilities, resulting in a filthy environment. A recent outbreak of cholera could also be life-threatening if the situation is not dealt with properly. Even those who know how to prevent germs and the spread of disease may be unable to wash due to the lack of running water. The sanitation project Cross Catholic Outreach supports is located in this most desperate area of the city, where 10,000 people live in an unsanitary slum including 2,000 vulnerable elderly people. With no privacy for personal hygiene, conditions are degrading for the poor community members. This latrine-construction project will serve to uphold their human dignity. This latrine is 18 years old and serves 18 families. It is on the Brothers of Good Works list for replacement. A government truck pumps out sewage three times a year, but the pit becomes filled to overflowing again in less than one month. Families are then forced to use alternative unsanitary methods. A new latrine will offer greater privacy and a healthier environment. 2

The Project To improve sanitation, hygiene and human dignity in a slum of Addis Ababa, Cross Catholic Outreach has partnered with the like-minded Congregation of the Brothers of Good Works.

5 The Project To improve sanitation, hygiene and human dignity in a slum of Addis Ababa, Cross Catholic Outreach has partnered with the like-minded Congregation of the Brothers of Good Works. They strive to be close to all people, especially the least in the Kingdom and to champion the rights of the poor and abused, whom they see as the suffering Christ. The Brothers aim to help the poor be self-sufficient, and this community latrine construction project is no exception. One of the criteria for selecting a neighborhood in which to build latrines is the unanimous consent of the community members involved. Families must agree to work together to help build and maintain the facility; they must provide storage space for construction materials while it s being built; they must contribute water to help mix the cement; and they must elect a representative from among them to help coordinate the project. Each family must also agree to send two members to participate in a hygiene and sanitation training program, to help prevent the further spread of communicable diseases. Communities that agree to these terms take ownership in the project. This is their latrine construction project. We simply facilitate their efforts to improve their own living conditions. Working closely with the local government, the Brothers of Good Works has identified a particularly needy community. Residents are eager to participate in this project, and the government has gladly donated a plot of land on which to build all of which are necessary to begin construction. With the support of caring Catholics such as you to help pay for materials and specialized labor, this project is poised to make a positive impact on hundreds of people. 3

Give Now During Jesus earthly ministry he tended to the physical and material needs of those in his midst, and in doing so, imparted holy love to suffering people who had no idea they were so deeply

6 Give Now During Jesus earthly ministry he tended to the physical and material needs of those in his midst, and in doing so, imparted holy love to suffering people who had no idea they were so deeply loved by God. Through Scripture, Jesus urges his followers to do likewise, and Pope Francis continues to remind the Church of our Lord s command. This project provides an opportunity to impart the love of Christ to suffering families by tending to their most pressing practical need. Until we respond, the health, safety and dignity of poor families remain threatened due to the lack of something most Americans take for granted: toilets and knowledge of hygienic practices that promote good health. The community selected for this project is eager to pitch in and make their neighborhood a better place to live. They have offered their homes for storage, their precious water for cement mixing, and their time for building and training. They just need funds to acquire the materials and labor. Please help us complete this important, life-sustaining project in Christ s name and for his glory! By this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 Our Promise to You! Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred during the current calendar year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry N. Military Trail Suite 240 PO Box Boca Raton, Florida Copyright Cross Catholic Outreach. Cost-effectively written, designed and printed in-house. [nb1409][utn1504][utn1501][utn1608]

Restoring Homes, Upholding Dignity

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL PROJECT 1242 Restoring Homes, Upholding Dignity Home Repairs and Improvements for the Sick, the Elderly and Disabled Children Addis Ababa, Ethiopia You are the God who works