The poor rainfall and ensuing drought affecting Ethiopia is of special concern to our team. 2015 was the start of an “El Niño” weather pattern that has brought considerable rain and snow to the West Coast of the United States, while ironically causing a considerable reduction in rainfall in the Horn of Africa. For millions of rural farmers whose livelihoods depend on yearly rains, this…

Belief changes things. Belief in one’s value. Belief in one’s capacity. Belief in one’s ability to impact the world around them for the better. Belief changes relationships. One of the often overlooked but most significant impacts on the lives of Savings Group (SHG) members is the benefit to marriage relationships. As husbands and wives begin saving and believing their lives can improve, and they are…

Steady can sound like a negative word when you’re talking about working with people who still have grave challenges accessing basic necessities like clean water and electricity. But we’ve learned enough to know that rapid change has many unwelcome effects, whether initiated from within or outside a community. Meaningful, lasting change in the right direction requires time and foundational change. 2015 did not bring any…

One of the greatest joys we have in sending students to Selam Awassa Vocational College is learning their stories. Everyone comes from a unique background and the limited opportunity for education like Selam makes their placement tremendously uplifting. Discovering Light is excited to introduce the two young men selected to attend Selam beginning this fall, supported through your generous donations. Birhanu Adane Mengistu and Adane…

The story below was written by researcher Alex Evans from the U.K. specializing in foreign policy and international development. Published originally on his organization’s blog, it was picked up by The Guardian where we found it. The author details as well as we’ve ever heard the power of Savings (or Self Help) Groups. He describes his slight conversion from critic to believer in slow, methodical…

This September, we hope to sponsor at least 4 new students in Selam Awassa’s program for General Metal Fabrication and Assembly and Building Electrical Installation. Students in the program learn to design and manufacture products that are improving the lives of rural Ethiopians. When finished, they’re ready to find a good paying job in the ever-growing industrial marketplace of Southeast Ethiopia. Each student’s classes, room,…

If you read airline magazines or international business news, you may think Ethiopia is a budding economic powerhouse full of innovation. Certainly, there are encouraging signs of progress in the unceasing construction throughout cities like Addis Ababa and Awassa, and the large factories spread throughout the countryside. Wealthy nations are investing more and more in this land rich with natural resources. Several trips a year…

Head right to a slideshow of beautiful pictures from West Arsi taken by Noah Wardrip: SLIDESHOW Noah’s photography is all over this website. Two years ago, we asked him to join us in Ethiopia and to take pictures of the people and places we’ve come to love. He took hundreds (literally!) of images which we’ve used to tell the story of transformation taking place in West…

Last week, we had the opportunity to share the wonderful things taking place in West Arsi with several leaders from Penasquitos Lutheran Church one of our mission partners. PLC has invested in Discovering Light’s mission for two years. And now, they were able to get a firsthand look at the hope that is rising among many of the Arsi Oromo people. We asked Pastor Sean Kelly…

The proliferation of mobile phones in rural Ethiopia (and the rest of rural Africa for that matter) demonstrates that one of the primary obstacles to development is affordable access to the technologies that can hasten progress. In other words, when tools like phones are made available and reasonably priced, men and women are eager to take advantage of them. Mobile phones prove that too often,…