My own impression of the time spent in Gode that SOS is making a huge difference in the lives of the community. Both through the village for the children who live there, but also for those in the community of Gode.
The food aid was a life saver for many and the impact was obvious. But the support to vulnerable families also has a life- saving impact, but in the longer term. The fact that the children of those who received the aid were now going to school; the fact that a small amount of money strategically invested in a small business could have a huge effect on a family – allowing them to move from surviving one day at a time to having hope and a vision for the future.
For most westerners, we can`t imagine that $100 could make such a difference for a family or an entire household for months – but it can in a place like Ethiopia and especially Gode. I too have a lot of hope for the future of Gode.
More Dispatches from Ethiopia