"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." Mother Teresa
CHIROTA Project 2019 Summarized Activity Report
(January to December 2019)
I would like to extend my greetings to the Donors/Supporters of CHIROTA Elderly Neighbors Goodwill Project in Ethiopia Inc (CHIROTA Project). I wish also to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your continuous generous monetary support and positive feedback. As we did for the last few years, here are the 2019 accomplished activities and the living as well as the health conditions of the Beneficiaries.
I. Introduction
In 2019, I was fortunate to stay in Addis Ababa from mid-January to beginning of July. During my stay I was able to monitor the activities very closely and the health conditions of the Beneficiaries.
On my first visit, as usual, I talked to most of the Beneficiaries taking enough time to understood their health situations, see their living conditions and to find out their needs. Again, I went around, at least five or six times, during my stay, to observe how the activities are performed such as packing, distributing Injera, the monthly food ingredients and pocket money. I observed also the high responsibilities of the Volunteers. After the yearly gifts are purchased according to their needs, we went around and distributed the gifts. At the end of my stay, I went again around to say goodbye to all Beneficiaries. Here, I wish to mention that the Beneficiaries were always happy to see me or the Advisors or the Volunteers and they are very grateful. They expressed their satisfaction with tears and blessing words for everything we are doing for them and their families.
II. CHIROTA Project General Activities
As noted in its Goals and Objectives, the general activities of CHIROTA Project for the last nine years, is assisting the vulnerable elderly people, disabled young men including those who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, they are provided with daily meals, shelters and clothing as well as providing them with medical treatment. So, in 2019, we have assisted 21 household Beneficiaries (28 people). Although it was decided only to help 20 households, we were approached to help one over 90 years old lady and her daughter who desperately needed our assistance. So, we accepted them and started helping as of May 1, 2019, but unfortunately, the mother passed away on July 7, 2019. In this regard, we decided to continue helping the daughter who is over 60 years old, sick and weak.
III. Food Ingredients, Pocket Money, Shelters, clothing & Visitation
1. Injera
The allocated Injera (7 to 12 Injera a week for each Beneficiary) is being distributed three times a week. The Baker who is hired since 2016 is providing high quality of Injera. We really appreciate that she delivers to the Packer early morning on the schedule days without payment for transportation. All Beneficiaries, who are receiving Injera, have expressed their admiration to me and I have also witnessed its quality by tasting it myself and looking at it.
2. Food Ingredients
Each Beneficiary gets the allocated Berbere, Shiro (Peas Powder), Lentil and one-liter cooking oil per month, depending on their dependents.
(a) In January 2019, my cousin, giving us reasonable price, prepared 68 kgs. or 150lbs Berbere. Its good quality was validated by our Beneficiaries, Volunteers, Advisors and myself.
(b) Thanks to one of our Volunteers, we bought good brand Cooking Oil at a whole sale price.
(c) 100 kgs Split lentils and 100 kgs Peas were purchased at the beginning of the year. The peas-powder was being prepared four times a year to keep it fresh. The Beneficiaries had expressed about the cleanliness of the Split Lentils and the well prepared Shiro (peas-powder).
3. The Pocket Money
The Beneficiaries have received Pocket Money from 100 to 300 Birr depending on their needs, number of dependents and kind of assistance. The Pocket money is distributed each month against signature of the Beneficiaries while distributing the monthly food ingredients. As noted in the previous reports, the pocket money is to cover food ingredients such as onion, salt, coffee, etc. Also, to cover rent, utility bills and mutual association for those who already have registered as Members. In 2019, after evaluating their needs, we have given raise of the pocket money for some Beneficiaries although they have not requested or expected the raise. They are always grateful for the assistance they are provided. Here I wish to mention that the Beneficiaries who received the raise were very surprised and they were tearfully thankful.
4. Clothing and Shelter
Clothing and shoes were given according to their request and needs.
Regarding Shelters, most of the dwellings are in livable conditions; we only covered one kitchen roof with plastic to protect from rain. Since it is Kebele (Government) house we couldn’t cover it with tin.
5. Visitation
In 2019, two Volunteers were visiting the Beneficiaries twice a month to listen to their concerns, comments and to solve problems. Also, the Injera Distributor and the New Messenger were collecting information and were passing it to the Volunteers or to the Administrator and Volunteers for action, the actions taken were always reported to me.
6. Providing cleaning assistance
In 2019, we did not provide cleaning assistance, thanks to neighbors and family members of the Beneficiaries who were willing to do the job.
IV. Medical Assistance and Health Conditions of the Beneficiaries
During this period, most of the Elderly Beneficiaries were in good health conditions except being weak and some of them have eye-sight problems. Those young men who are bed-ridden and the young lady with her daughter with HIV positive are in worst conditions. It is really sad that we couldn’t help them regarding their health situations. Those Elderly people who needed to refill their medication and/or who needed checkups were being escorted to Selam Clinic to get treatments. All expenses were covered, although some were expensive.
During my stay, we have reviewed the Medical report for all Beneficiaries which was prepared by Health Volunteer and submitted to me. In this regard, we have set new reporting method to reduce work to the Volunteers.
V. Death of a Beneficiary and replacing her by her daughter
In May 2019 we started helping a 90 years old lady who needed assistance. Unfortunately, she passed away in July 2019. So, we continued assisting her daughter who has health problem and desperate to get basic needs.
VI. Onetime Assistant
A lady over 70 years old with her husband a disabled military man without pension are living in small one-room Kebele house. She works as Injera baker for people around the neighborhood. She requested for onetime assistance to build a small cooking place close to her room. After she received the approval from Kebele, we covered the expenses. She was very grateful.
VII. Encountered Difficulties
The same as last year, some Beneficiaries who were coming to collect the Injera and their monthly assistance were not coming on time. Also, some Beneficiaries do not stay home during delivery day although they are told. Some it was being forgetful. So, the Volunteers as well as the Messengers had encountering problems wasting their time waiting for them or going back again. In this regard, we discussed and set up another way to solve problem. Then we advised those Beneficiaries about the situation and difficulty which they all regret. We told them the new way and if it is not followed there would be consequences. They understood and accepted our decision. To alleviate the stress, we hired another person who goes around one day before the monthly distribution to inform all the Beneficiaries to wait for their assistance.
VIII. 2019 Financial Report
The financial standing of CHIROTA Project in 2019 is very good due to the generous donations by friends and immediate family members 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 2019 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 2019 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
First of all, I wish to inform you that I am very much satisfied with the performance of the Volunteers which is beyond my expectation. They are really there to help those in need in any way possible. Here is some rearrangement of assignments
1. The Administrator has moved far away from the CHIROTA Project area but have expressed her willingness to continue working as Administrator of the CHIROTA Project. In this regard, we rearranged the responsibilities for her to come twice a month (1) first week to distribute the monthly food ingredients and the pocket money at the same time visit them. (2) mid-month just to visit the Beneficiaries (3) to communicate by phone. In this regard, we have also made some responsibility shifts which some are added to those Volunteers who live close to the Project area. We also decided to have additional standby Volunteer, to be on call. Moreover, we have set a method how to communicate and share responsibilities when one Volunteer is absent and also to solve problems, if there is any.
2. The Injera Packer/Quality Control, Distribution Supervisor and Accountant, has expressed her willingness to work as Focal Point as far as she is able to do it. In this regard, in additional to the three Volunteers, we have added standby Volunteers in case of emergency especially for Packing and supervising the distribution of the Injera.
3. The Medical Assistant/monthly distributor is willing to continue working as assigned. She is also willing to be Standby in case of Emergency to cover the Administrator or the Injera Packer.
4. The messenger, who distributes the Injera three times a week, was also collecting the containers once a month from Beneficiaries. However, since she is busy with her street vending job, sometimes she forgets to collect. So, we have lifted this responsibility from her and have hired a young man, who is a guard in the compound, to go around and to collect the containers, at the same time to gather information from the Beneficiaries to update the Volunteers. This person also stays on standby to distribute the Injera, if the Messenger is not there,
Here, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to all Volunteers, Messengers for their willingness to help these vulnerable people, for trying to solve all problems and cover the activities as far as possible. Above all, I admire their willpower, compassionate and respectful services they are providing to the Beneficiaries.
X. Conclusion
In conclusion, I wish to share with you that my long time stay in Addis Ababa during this time was crucial for CHIROTA Project, which needed rearrangement of responsibilities of Volunteers due to residence change of one of our main Volunteers, the Administrator.
In general, CHIROTA Project’s activities are being operated according to its Goals and Objectives. Therefore, the 2020 activities have started with good financial standing; appropriate estimated monthly and yearly budget as well as with good distribution of responsibilities among Volunteers. It is my hope that with our dedicated selfless Volunteers, the activities in 2020 and beyond will be operated successfully.
God bless you and your loved ones for your continuous and unwavering support to those elderly, bed-ridden, disabled and vulnerable people. Moreover, your positive and constructive feedbacks mean a lot to CHIROTA Project as well as to me.
Warmest regards,
Founder/President
July 30, 2020
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