Il progetto

Dear Director

Missione Con Noi

Project Title: Electricity Installation for Homa Parish and area people in Soddo Hosanna Vicariate In Ethiopa.

Project Holder: Apostolic Vicariate of Soddo Hosanna. Soddo

Hosanna Development Coordination Office. P.O. Box 132

Wolayta Soddo ETHIOPIA

Project Executer: Electricity Power Authority - Durame Ethiopia

Contact Person: Fr. Dereje Titos

Rector of Major Seminary

P.O.BOX 22308

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia.

E-mail dere_bekele20Q3@yahoo.com

Project presented: Missione Con Noi Italy

Total amount / cost of the project: Euros 32,763.06

Locai Contribution: Manual labour

Amount Requested: Euros 32,763.06

The Project implementation duration estimated by the locai

Electricity and power Authority is from 6 month to 1 year time.

Background History of the Catholic Church in Homa.

Homa is located in Southern people Nation Nationalities Regional State (SPNNRS) in Kambatta Zone under Constituency of Hadaro and Tunto Zuria Woreda (District). It is 270 K.Ms far from the capital city of Ethiopia which is Addis Ababa.The people of area are highly dependent on subsistence agriculture and husbandry. The economie income of the people is very low, and it is highly populated area.

The beginning of Catholic religion in Homa has a link with the beginning of Catholic religion in Wassera. Though a bit latter, the religion spread around the area, it is told that in Homa the Catholic Church started at about 1943 which goes 65 years back. Therefore, we can say that this Church is very young Church. Nevertheless this Church having a unique character for its establishment it has grown very fast. This Church is started and evangelized by a lay person who used to go and practice his faith to a very distance Catholic community in Wassera and some times to Emdibir which is very far from Homa which takes about two days in order to reach for Sunday Celebrations.

The strength of this Church is mainly its administration by laity for a long period of years that made the community to stand strong in faith. Because of this strength the community has a unique collaboration in matters of faith and for the spread of the word of God. Since the beginning, the small community started to emerge being attracted to the faith that the founder has, who is a lay person. By then they were young children who started to be converted from traditional faith to Catholic religion and in to Christianity. It was easier for them to communicate about their faith were ever they meet and no one could stop them from doing so. An other strength that they had by then was: This small group of children had built the center for worship of God on Sundays and for catechism assembly, which was very small local 'tukuF from the start and slowly by slowly they had passed various stages in the life of their faith and growth of the church in Homa.

Now, this church has embraced many faithful and become parish some years ago and has got a priest.

The community has a strong unity among themselves and in relation to other religions and they live in peace and harmony with all people living in the area, which is a real sign of the follower of Christ. These good qualities if this church is still effective in attracting human souls to real brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ and increase in number of the faithful.

The Challenges that the Church faced, since the beginning was: the strong reaction from traditional religion followers, from the parents of this small young children refusal to admit Christian faith, not allowing their children to go and gather together to practice their faith, not allowing them to learn catechism and be baptized. In spite of all these challenges what surprised them was from time to time the number of followers to catholic religion increases. Then they started to request to have a priest and a catechist who takes care of this small flock. They got a contact through neighboring parishes and got recognition from the bishop who is in charge of this area coming from other Vicariate known by that time called Harer Vicariate.

As challenges are part of human life this community still faces some problems in its progress and growth. As the number of the faithful increases the demand also increases, therefore, this undergoes economic problems, pastoral problems and social problems. Pastorally, they lack personnel for pastoral services such as they can not get regularly Sunday Eucharist, anointing of the sick, for they are geographically dispersed few catechists & one priest can't satisfy their needs. Still they need to go far on foot to attend the Mass because they can't get Mass in their respective area.

This community though very cooperative, still needs financial assistance for it has poor members, sick people and young people who had not get job and earn life. There fore this is the main reason why we are requesting to have electricity power in this area. If they get it they might over come some of the major problems, thus the electricity energy becomes the source for many income generating activities, opportunities of job and creating new working conditions.

The needs of electric installation is numerous: such as for water use, mill use, house use, school use, power use, clinic use, more over, the benefits of having Electricity is very important for the Homa parish and area people. It also helps to protect the environmental and deforestation disaster which is alarming many nations at large, Ethiopia in particular. Field of Interest: Socio Economic & Socio pastoral. The Economic situation of the society who lives in the region is mainly based on Primitive Agriculture that can not afford the basic needs of the human person. Therefore I would declare that they live under poverty.

So seeking the access of electricity power we could meet the needs of the community thereby we can give an hand to over come some problems that they face day today due to the lack of this technology. 

The Goals and Objectives of the above project:

a) Goals: The main goal is to enable people to use electricity power as energy for all access of electrical technology, such as for light, for education, for health center, for information technology, for income generating activities thus using machines which can produce various products.

b) Objectives:

• To enable people to get access of electricity at living house and in the field,
• To enhance life situation of the poor people, giving opportunity to use the products of technology.
• To give options to use the resources available in the area in a developed manner like wood work, mechanical and electrical activities.
• To create work opportunities and entrepreneurship for young generation who look for employment lacking any alternative options to earn life.
• To empower students through the access of information media like computer networking system of the national education network, and through Internet to link to the global world.
• To reduce the high expenses of kerosene oil for the poorest of the poor who live under poverty. Because the electricity consummation does not cost a lot like kerosene, for we have hydroelectric power at local land.

Target groups: The project benefits many communities and villages, the Catholic Church and other faith denominations, the schools and health post in particular.

I propose to you the necessity of the light in life and to feel the experience of the darkness being under ground or in prison where you could not get light. Feel the same for my community who did not see and have access of it for life. Thanking you very much for your kind cooperation and consideration of our requests and providing us the funds requested to implement the project for the benefits of the people and sending you our best wishes and fraternal greetings.

Here with I attach copies of pictures that show the scenery of the area where we would like to implement the project. Hoping and praying for its success! May all be to the Glory of God!

Yours in Christ,

FATHER DEREJE TITOS...

Contact person

21-11-2008, G.C.

Il progetto II

Vicariate Apostolic of Soddo - Hosanna

St. Mary Major Seminary

P. O. Box 22308

Addis Ababa

ETHIOPIA

Tel: (+251) 0112791649 | (+251)0112793173

Fax:  (+251)0112802714

E-mail:  dtitos@ethionet.et

Date 28 Nov. 2008

To the  Director

In Missione con Noi

Bologna

ITALY

Dear  Sir,

At  the  request  of Abba Dereje  Titos  I  write  this  letter  to  you  in  order to  inform  you  that  Abba Dereje has shown to me the project for electricity  in Homa.

I  have  seen  the  project  and  I  know  well  the  situation  of Homa.  Therefore,  I  recommend  his request and  I  appreciate your interest and desire of collaboration  in this project.

The Electricity Power Authority  of Ethiopia  has  submitted an  estimate  of 32,763.06  Euros. 

The document  they  gave  us  is written   in the Amharic  language  and  it is  being currently translated.

As soon as the English version  is ready  Abba Dereje will  send a copy to your office by fax.

Rodrigo  Mejia,  S.J.

Vicar Apostolic  of Soddo/Hosanna