Progress Report – April to July 2025

We have not been to Lalibela since the February 2025 visit. I, Michael Arlington am writing this report. I am currently (Oct 12) en route to our projects for a one week visit. There has been inconsistent rainfall in the current rainy season, but mostly sufficient to allow for the next season’s planting which is underway.

SECURITY AND WORKING TOGETHER

The Government of the Prosperity party continues with their policy of disarming all local militia. Many people of Amhara region are resisting this policy and local FANO groups are coming together not just to resist as armed militia but also as political representatives of the local people.

Small scale skirmishes continue and have increasingly occurred, with deaths not uncommon, but no formal talks have yet taken place. We work in Bugna and Lasta woredas and these are largely ‘in the control’ of FANO.

The Woredas of Gazgibla and Lalibela town are under government control. We can still work in Lalibela town. Gazgibla is more restricted, but we are tentatively resuming our work there. Lalibela Trust works for the humanitarian benefit of all the people; however the security and political realities do provide everyone with ongoing day to day challenges. Nevertheless we continue to work in this environment.

Despite or in part because of these difficulties Derebe, our Project Manager has had a very busy 4 months. He and the local Woreda administrators whether in Health, Education or Clean Water provision are innovative in finding the best ways to invest for the objective of improving the lives of the million people across ‘our’ region.

We continue to work closely with our Australian colleagues in Create Impact, and in recent months we have invested side by side with this charity in both health and education projects.

We have the faintly ridiculous situation that the headquarters and stores of Lasta Woreda, situated in Lalibela town, are unable to distribute using their own hired vehicles for fear of attack from Fano forces. Therefore, every other day for 4 months Lalibela Trust has used our vehicle and driver to distribute infant medicines and baby food to the rural health centres to keep alive malnourished and dying infants.

Lalibela Trust has not been able to work in Gazgibla, a Woreda to the north bordering Tigray, for a few years because it has been the most exposed of ‘our’ woredas to the Tigray war. At our request Derebe made a visit there to reestablish relationships with the leadership. This is a poor upland area which historically has not produced enough food for its own needs. I am including Gazgibla in October. Our initial discussions are relating to clean water projects damaged in the Tigray invasion 2-3 years ago.

CLEAN WATER

Lalibela Trust continues to invest heavily in repairs to wells and springs in both Bugna and Lasta Woredas. Over 20 more upgrades and repairs have been completed in the first 6 months of 2025 resulting in an estimated 6000 beneficiaries now having their local clean water supply restored.

Each project requires the local community to upskill or to reform their water committees and to work closely with the technical water team from the Woreda. In most cases skilled water contractors are employed to do the technical work under supervision of the Woreda water engineers.

We wrote in our last report about water in the town of Kidus Harbe, in Bugna Woreda. Here, another NGO had become involved in March but failed to complete the work and they walked away. Lalibela Trust, through Derebe’s contact with Bugna’s water department, has completed the repairs to 3.5km of water pipe from the water source (along a riverbed that annually dries up) to the storage reservoir. This was filled in June before the rains arrived.

Our commitment now in Kidus Harbe is to provide running water to the schools, the health centre and health posts in this large town, with the local community providing the physical labour. This has now started.

Derebe’s close working relationship and the Trust’s flexibility to respond to changing requests and needs is enabling a reliable water supply for this community. Our longstanding knowledge and flexible reputation also allowed us to provide for an unusual request. The large Kulmesk water project funded by another NGO, who had spent all their budget, needed fuel to start pumping water to their new customers. Although the ongoing running costs of the project are to be self-funded, they had failed to provide for the significant initial cash required before the householders start to pay for their water. This sizable project, well beyond what our small charity could consider, was able to be completed because Derebe was a valuable partner and Lalibela Trust was quick and flexible in making the decision.

EDUCATION NEEDS

Funding of some the Woreda administrative functions has in part broken down:

We were able to support, when in April we were asked by Lasta Woreda to transport 30 tonnes of school textbooks, which had been delivered to the Regional government, but there were no financial resources for the final stage of their journey. 1000’s of students in Lalibela now have their textbooks! Separately they also had their Examination papers delivered by Laliebla Trust on time!

With short notice in July we became aware through the parents’ foundation of Getergie Primary School in Lalibela that roofs were leaking and floors were unsafe in their 8 oldest classrooms. With builder’s drawings and detailed costings to review and approve, and with financial control of the project in Derebe’s hands, we made the decision in early August to jointly fund this project with Create Impact for the new school season.

We have provided 13 disabled secondary pupils, some having to travel to the capital Addis Ababa to have their needs assessed, and who can now be educated in the national school system, with bespoke equipment for their individual needs.

HEALTHIER PEOPLE

We have continued funding the ongoing repair and upgrading of the Maternity Unit of Lalibela hospital thanks to the generous donation of Dr Hugh Sharp.

At the hospital, the construction of a new building with additional ward space continues and this should enable more work to be carried out locally. This will mean many more people can be treated as they do not have to find the large cost of travelling many hours away by public transport.

At our February visit we were asked to support the existing very limited work on diabetes at the hospital, at health centres and with the Lalibela Patients’ Association. Whilst sympathetic to these requests we felt that a Diabetes strategy across the whole hospital region was required to enable our limited resources to be wisely spent. In July we received a draft strategy, but without estimates of the resources needed, clear outcomes and costs. We have responded positively to their thinking and hope to see a clear, targeted request and strategy soon. The Diabetes Association represents over 600 diagnosed sufferers, so we know there is work to be done.

We are monitoring the use of the Hormone and Electrolyte analysers we purchased for the hospital. Installation required costly improvements to the electricity supply. Wonderfully new Xray equipment has arrived replacing the broken and old, inadequate equipment.

We have provided all the furniture at 2 more rebuilt Health posts at Meskele Kristos and Brauagua in Bugna Woreda. Again, thanks to the generous support of Festival Medical Services, which raises funds from their charitable medical work at music festivals including Glastonbury.

We reported in March on the building of Sarsena Comprehensive Health Post by Create Impact and our provision of the equipment. Subsequently Create Impact and LT were asked to provide security fencing (not originally specified) and later to provide for an incinerator and placenta pit. We look forward to the review by Lasta Woreda of the operation of this, its first Comprehensive Health Post, prior to engaging with further such projects.

IN SUMMARY

It has been an exciting and challenging time for me making decisions on expenditure and deciding to say yes OR no or asking more questions through Derebe.

My contribution is only made possible by the hard work of Derebe in Lalibela and the continuing detailed and generous support of Norman Coward. Anything we are achieving is based on his, and Carole’s, dedication and knowledge built up over 25 years.

Michael Arlington

I apologise for the late posting of this newsletter.

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Health Posts

Standard health posts, 15 completed. One larger Community Health Post opened in February 2025.

100,000 beneficiaries

School Classrooms

51 completed; the most recent were constructed or renovated

by our sister charity Create Impact

37,000 beneficiaries.

Clean Water Projects

Total Beneficiaries from all Projects to Date

182,000