10 years in the Horn

2010 marks ARAHA’s 10-year anniversary. The American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa has come a long way in that time. Through the support of our donors and partners and the hard work of our board, staff, volunteers, and field offices we have been able to positively impact the lives of over half a million people in the Horn of Africa region. This report shares our accomplishments from 2010 and a look at our finances.We look forward to many more rewarding years of helping those in need in the Horn of Africa.

Directors Note

Dear Friends of ARAHA,
We’re honored to report to you on our tenth year of serving those in need in the Horn of Africa. Many important projects were carried out over the
course of the year. We built a total of 46 water wells in 2010—the most in our ten years of operation. These wells serve dozens of communities in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya and provide water for an estimated 50,000 beneficiaries and their livestock. ARAHA also fed about 74,000 people through our food baskets, community meals, and meat distributions this year.

This is the first high school built in the 25-year history of the Shegerab Refugee Camps in Sudan, which are home to over 50,000 Eritrean refugees.

We began a new dairy goat project in Ogaden, Ethiopia to grant 185 pairs of dairy goats which will provide milk and income for their recipients. Ogaden is among the most impoverished areas in the Horn of Africa (and the world). Thousands will benefit from this project.

These are great accomplishments, but there is one project that really stands out for us. The Shegerab High School for Girls was completed and opened in 2010 in partnership with Healing Bridges Inc., a California based nonprofit organization. This is the first high school built in the 25-year history of the Shegerab Refugee Camps in Sudan, which are home to over 50,000 Eritrean refugees. Most importantly, this high school is just for girls—they will be the first of their generation to hold a high school diploma, a rare item in a refugee camp. The school has given hope for the future to the children who have been denied the basic right to an education for so long.

I think you’ll agree that this year was among the best in ARAHA’s ten-year history. We can’t wait to top it in 2011!

How we did

Food
Food distribution is at the heart of the relief work that sustains the people of the Horn of Africa. It helps them survive droughts, famine, displacement, and other factors which limit access to regular food staples.

Giving people the food they need helps us ensure the success of our important development projects designed to build self-sufficient families.

In 2010 we distributed food baskets, fresh meat during the holidays, and hosted community dinners for refugees used to eating one small meal a day if they are able to eat at all. These efforts fed a total of 73,915 people this year.

Water
Water plays a role in both relief and development in the Horn of Africa. Simply delivering fresh drinking water can save lives during a particularly long drought, but that’s only one way we use water to lift people out of poverty and provide opportunities for a brighter future.

Shallow water wells are inexpensive alternatives to machine-drilled wells. They provide employment for the people who do the digging, and they bring clean, freshwater to the people where they live. Without this type of well, people in the Horn of Africa are forced to send women and children to fetch water from miles away under harsh conditions. The water they pull from dirty, contaminated sources is unsafe to drink and causes all kinds of diseases and other health problems.

ARAHA built a total of 46 wells in 2010 alone. These wells will serve roughly 50,000 people for a dozen years or more. Now that’s a relief.

Education
At ARAHA, we’re not interested in the status quo. Thanks to our partners and donors, we have the opportunity to break down barriers to success for people struggling to survive in East Africa.

One of the biggest barriers is the lack of education. In the Shegerab camps of Eastern Sudan, people have lived for 25 years in a state of displacement without opportunities to study past the 8th grade level. That all changed in 2010 when ARAHA opened the doors of the first high school in the camps. The school, just for girls, will provide the opportunity for students to learn advanced subjects in math, reading, the arts, and science. Just imagine what doors will open for them when they graduate.

Self-Reliance
While ARAHA provides relief assistance for displaced families through food and water projects, our ultimate goal is to help these families stand on their feet so they do not have to rely on this assistance long-term.

Our water tankers and donkey carts are great ways for families to earn extra income. Another popular project is our dairy cow/goat program. We give goats or cows to families so they have milk for their children, collateral for borrowing, and even income from the sale of offspring. We authorized the delivery of nearly 200 pairs of goats this year and are excited about this project’s potential for growth.

Orphans
Taking care of a child’s basic needs in the Horn of Africa is hard enough, but what happens when the main provider dies, leaving the family to support themselves? Children orphaned by the death of one or both of their parents face significantly higher risks of malnutrition, disease, and illiteracy in this region.

Through orphan sponsorships, ARAHA is able to provide many children with the funds they need for basic food, medicine, clothing, and school fees.

Financial Snapshot

It’s no secret that nonprofits all over the world are struggling financially in these difficult times. At ARAHA we work hard to ensure that every dollar we receive is spent in the most effective and responsible way possible. You’ll notice that our administrative costs are just 4% of our total budget.

2010 brought many challenges, and the need for our help doesn’t go down when the economy is weak—in fact the demands on our budget are even more than before because everyone is suffering. However, our increased efforts in 2009 to raise over $130,000 in additional funds compensated for the anticipated reduction in income this year.

We remain committed to our mission despite the economy and are implementing new and innovative solutions for fundraising and marketing in 2011.

Thank you!

We would like to express our gratitude to the people responsible for making all of this possible:

• ARAHA’s individual donors
• Our many dedicated volunteers
• Our collaborators + supporters
• And our partner organizations:
  • Life for Relief & Development
  • Zakat Foundation
  • Southwest High School
  • Healing Bridges
  • Baitulmaal