2018 Activity Report

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." Mother Teresa

CHIROTA Project 2018 Summarized Activity Report
(January to December 2018)

I would like to extend my greetings to all supporters of CHIROTA Elderly Neighbors Goodwill Project in Ethiopia Inc. I wish also to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your continuous support since the beginning. As we did for the last few years, here are the activities accomplished in 2018.

I.    CHIROTA Project General Activities

As you know, the general activities of CHIROTA Project are helping the vulnerable elderly people by providing them (a) daily meals, (b) shelters (c) clothing (d) medical assistances by taking them to the clinic or hospital and pay their portion of payment (e) Visiting and Counselling.  Accordingly, in 2018, we have assisted 20 households (26 people including two disabled young men, one disabled young lady, also a young mother and her daughter who are HIV/AID positive, We have also replaced two Beneficiaries who passed away in 2017 and one Beneficiary who moved far away.

II. Injera, Food Ingredients, Pocket Money, Shelters, clothing, Visitation & Cleaning

1.    Injera

The allocated Injera, 7 to 12 Injera a week for each Beneficiary, depending on their needs and number of families, are being distributed three times a week i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Baker who was hired since 2016 has provided high quality of Injera.  Moreover, she delivers the Injera on time to the Packer without transportation fees. All Beneficiaries, who are receiving the Injera, have expressed their admiration about the quality and have also confirmed to me that they are receiving the Injera on time. In this regard, I have extended my appreciation to the Baker, to the Packer and to the Messenger.

2.  Food Ingredients

The Food Ingredients are being distributed beginning of each month according to their needs and number of people in each household. We wish to mention here that the Beneficiaries as well as the Advisors have validated the high quality of all Food Ingredients. As previously done, some Food Ingredients were prepared in advance as follows:

(a)  Berbere (Cayenne Pepper): 68 kgs or 150lbs was prepared in January 2018;

(b)  One-liter Good brand Cooking Oil were purchased every month for each household;

(c)   100 kgs Split lentils and 100 kgs Peas were purchased at the beginning of the year.  The peas-powder is being prepared three times a year to keep it fresh.
                             

3.    The Pocket Money

The Beneficiaries receive from 100 to 300 Birr pocket money every month, depending on their need and kind of assistance. The Pocket money is distributed the beginning of each month against signature of the Beneficiaries along with the monthly food ingredients. As noted in the previous reports, the pocket money is to cover food ingredients such as onion, salt etc. and also to cover rent, water, electricity and payment of membership fee for Mutual Association for those who already have registered.  This year, we have increased the pocket money for some Beneficiaries after evaluating their needs.  Here, I wish to note that no one requested to get more money but it was our own decision. Our Beneficiaries are very grateful for the assistance they are being provided. So, they were surprised and very happy.

4,  Clothing and Shelter

This year, the Beneficiaries were given choices, so most of them chose shoes and clothing. Therefore, they were given according to their request and needs.

Regarding Shelters, all dwellings are in livable conditions; we only covered one kitchen roof with plastic to protect from rain.

5. Visiting and Counseling

In 2018, the Volunteers were visiting the Beneficiaries twice a month to listen to their concerns, comments and to solve problems, if any.  Previously, they were visiting them once a week but we found out that it was not necessary because the Messenger who was delivering Injera three times a week gathers the information and passes it to the Administrator and Volunteers for action, I wish to mention here that the actions taken are always reported to me.

6. Providing cleaning assistance

In 2018, we did not provide cleaning assistance, thanks to neighbors and family members of the Beneficiaries who were willing to do the job.

III.   Medical Assistance and Health Conditions of the Beneficiaries

One of the main goals of CHIROTA Project is to keep the Beneficiaries in good health as far as possible. During this period, most of the Elders were in good health except being weak due to old age and some of them have eye-sight problems. The conditions on those young men who are bed-ridden are getting worse. Also, the conditions of the young lady with her daughter who are HIV positive are hopeless although they get the medications. It is really sad that we couldn’t help them more. However, those Elders who need to refill their medication and who need checkups are being escorted to clinics and hospitals and have received the necessary treatments. All expenses that the Beneficiaries have to pay were covered by CHIROTA Project although some medications were expensive.  At the end of the year, the Medical Report for each Beneficiary was submitted to me by the Volunteer Health Assistant.

IV.  Beneficiaries who moved far away

1.    A mother and her disabled young son, who moved far away in 2017, are still being helped.  Since her street cleaning job is close to the Project area, she comes and collects her Injera as well as the monthly food ingredients and her pocket money.  As we mentioned last year, she is happy that she got Government house with small rent payment. While I was there, I visited their house in two different occasions and her son has expressed his happiness with his big usual smile.

2.    One of our Beneficiaries, who moved to Sululeta in 2018, is still coming to collect her full assistance every other month as scheduled. I met with her two times and she is very grateful and looks better.

V.  Beneficiary who passed away in 2018

One Beneficiary, who was over 87 years old and who was being helped since 2011, passed away in August of 2018 after few months I visited her. At that time, she was very weak and had lost lots of her weight. Her funeral expenses were covered by family members and her Mutual Association. I wish to note here that for those who don’t have Mutual Association, we over the funeral and burial expenses.

VI.  New Beneficiaries

In 2018, four new Beneficiaries have joined CHIROTA Project replacing those who passed away and those who moved away.  If you wish to get more information, please visit our Website http://www.elderlyneighbors.org/2017/01/chirota-project-beneficiaries.html

VII. Onetime Assistance

This year, we met a lady who lives with her disabled military, husband in Kebele House paying rent. She was working as Injera baker for three households which does not fulfil her basic needs. So, she met with us and told us her dream which is to bake and sell Injera. However, to fulfil her dreams her room was too small to have a baking area. Therefore, she requested us to build a little kitchen in a small space she has outside her Kebele (government) house. After visiting her house, we waited until she got the permission to build the kitchen. Finally, she got the permission and the kitchen was built.  Although she got some free labor, we covered the construction material expenses, Now, she is baking and selling the Injera which has changed her life. She has expressed her gratitude to all.

VIII. The 2018 Financial Report

The financial standing of CHIROTA Project in 2018 is very good due to the generous donations by friends and families with their determination to save the lives of those vulnerable people. Therefore, CHIROTA Project operates without any financial issues. In this regard, our gratitude also goes to the Administrator and the Volunteers for managing the monthly expenses by purchasing food ingredients and other materials in a very controlled manner. As previously done, we manage our financial income and expenses as follows:  
           

1.    Donation in dollar is deposited in Chase Bank and it is wired to Abyssinia Bank once a year. Donation in Birr is deposited in Abyssinia Bank.

2.    As we do every year, the Estimated 2018 Yearly Budget, Monthly Budget as well as Individual Budget were set up, at the beginning of the year and the activities were performed accordingly.

3.    Cheques for monthly expenses were prepared, signed and were given to the Administrator in advance at the beginning of the year.

4.    All income and expenses were recorded by the Administrator in her books and then by the Volunteer Accountant in the Accounting Ledger.

5.    Every quarter of the year, the Accounting Ledger was submitted to me and the 2018 complete Financial Statement was prepared.

6.    When I was in Addis Ababa, I reviewed the financial statement with the Administrator and the Accountant to make sure the figures were correct. Accordingly, the Financial Statement was presented to the Board which will be audited in the near future. 
                                                                                     

IX.  Volunteers and Employees

The Volunteers (Administrator, Accountant, Medical Assistant/Monthly Distributor, Advisors) have done a great job assisting CHIROTA Project Beneficiaries. In this regard, I have expressed my appreciation to all of them for their willingness, as well as for providing compassionate and respectful services to the Beneficiaries. I wish to emphasize her that without their firm and devoted performance as well as without their successful financial management, it could have been difficult to accomplish the goals and objectives of CHIROTA Project during the past eight years. Our gratitude also goes to the Baker, the Injera Packer and the Messenger for doing an excellent job in delivering and distributing the Injera on time. They have promised to continue their services although some of them might change their residences far away.
 

X.  Board of Directors

I would like to express my gratitude to the Board of Directors for their commitment, advices and generous financial support to reach CHIROTA Project at its 8^th Anniversary.  Moreover, I wish to extend my appreciation to the Secretary of the Board for recording the minutes of the meetings and keeping the important documents of CHIROTA Project in her custody.  My thanks also go to the other Board of Directors for their services as well as for visiting the Beneficiaries when they were in Addis Ababa.

XI.  Conclusion

In conclusion, I wish to inform you that CHIROTA Project activities are in a very good status operating according to its Goals and Objectives. I would also like to emphasize here that I am fully satisfied with the activities performed in 2018 which was according to the budget and to the setup goals.  With our dedicated Volunteers, it is my hope that our activities will be operated successfully.

Your questions, comments as well as suggestions are very welcome anytime.

God, bless you and your loved ones for your continuous and unwavering support to those Elderly, bed-ridden and vulnerable people. Moreover, your positive and constructive feedbacks mean a lot to CHIROTA Project as well as to me. Please send us your comments by email to elderlyneighbors@gmail.com

Warmest regards,                          
The President/Founder of CHIROTA Project
24 September 2019