One of the completed Kitchens. Move mouse over image to view before photo of kitchen.

The community of Arat Kilo, is located in one of the sub-cities of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In this community, as in many underdeveloped areas of Ethiopia, countless children are suffering from diseases caused by poor hygiene and sanitation. Intestinal parasites, which are associated with contamination of food or water, are just one example of the widely spread diseases which affect children in this region.

In Arat Kilo, food is usually prepared over an open flame, in small one room huts made of mud and wood. Here in these smoke filled huts, children eat, sleep and play. Also, in Arat Kilo there were only two, old dilapidated toilets, which didn’t meet any standard of cleanliness – resulting in many children refusing to use the facilities. The poor quality of food processing and limited hygiene meant that these children were exposed to a myriad of preventable diseases. The lack of privacy and basic hygiene facilities made the community’s young girls especially vulnerable.

When Sylvia Buttner-Schnierer, a CCFC donor, heard of the conditions the children in this community were forced to live in, she felt compelled to act. In the summer of 2007, she offered CCFC a major gift donation in order to provide basic sanitation facilities to the people of Arat Kilo.

Mrs. Buttner-Schnierer’s generous donation made it possible for CCFC to construct four community toilets and seven community kitchens with stoves for the members of the Arat Kilo to use. In addition, the funds provided CCFC with an opportunity to provide the families of Arat Kilo with hygiene education. 

One of the toilets during construction. Move mouse over image to view completed toilet.

The community toilets, which community members were trained to build, maintain and repair, provide an increased level of hygiene and sanitation; lowering the rates of chronic diarrhea and child morbidity.

The community kitchens provide a clean, safe area for cooking, reducing the risk of injury and illness to children playing in their homes. In addition, the availability of communal ovens means that women in Arat Kilo have the opportunity to bake “enjera”, a local bread or cake, as part of a more comprehensive small business initiative.

The total number of people who benefited from Mrs. Buttner-Schnierer’s generous gift is significant; approximately 100 people will have access to the new toilets and kitchens, 60 of which are children.

CCFC and the community members of Arat Kilo would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Mrs. Buttner-Schnierer, and thank her for providing this community with the basic facilities necessary to live a healthy life with dignity, and the opportunity to take the first steps out of poverty.

To find out more about major gift opportunities at CCFC please contact Dorothy Tam, CFRE, Director, Major and Planned Gifts for Christian Children's Fund of Canada at 905-754-1013 or 1-800-263-5437 ext. 525 or dtam@ccfcanada.ca.