The last day

Friday 10th October

My first appointment of the day was with Norman Ling, the British Ambassador. The grounds of his residence at the Embassy were stunning. There were giant tortoises roaming free in the gardens! Ethiopiaid has benefited from a long-standing relationship with the British Embassy in Addis Ababa. We discussed two projects in which the Ambassador has a special interest - Yeha and Alchemy World. He stressed the imoprtance of developing entrepreneurial skills in Ethiopia and was keen for Ethiopiaid to get as involved as possible.

We talked about the new legislation the Ethiopian government are introducing and the potential implications this will have for Ethiopiaid. The new legislation will prevent NGOs that receive the majority of their funding from abroad from engaging in any for m of social advocacy. The Ambassador and his colleagues have been in a series of negotiations with the government to reduce the impact this legislation will have on NGOs in Ethiopia.

The Ambassador has recently returned from the Shashamane area where food shortages had been a great problem earlier in the year. Ethiopiaid sent £100,000 for food aid for this area in July. I was encouraged to hear that the situation there had much improved but the locals are still nervous about the December rains coming. As i was leaving, the Ambassador mentioned that he would be happy to provide the venue for Ethiopiaid's 20th anniversary celebrations next year. This landmark occasion should certainly be celebrated in true Ethiopian style!

After saying my farewells, I went to Mother Teresa's Missionary of Charity. There I met an American doctor, Rick Hodes who has been working in Ethiopia for 21 years. He has sent numerous patients for life-saving operations in Ghana and America and raises the money needed through an American NGO the American Jewish Joint Distribution Organisation. He specialises in helping those cancer, spinal problems and heart problems, but treats all sorts of health problems. One little boy had an awful skin disease that had turned his skin to scales. Rick took me to a room with two seven your old children undergoing chemotherapy. The difference he is making is amazing. I met Sister Yanneke, the Missionary's Head Sister, for a quick chat before leaving for the Fistula Hospital.