Nancy, Larry, Aidan, and Paige East Hello from the US! We hope all is well in Aleta Wondo if you are still there! We cannot thank you enough for allowing us to visit for the day and the experience is one we will never forget. I actually blogged about it and wanted to share it with you as I took so many photos of the children that you might want to have. They all left quite an impact on each of us, as did the both of you. We will continue to advocate for Common River and we still are planning to make a donation to the children's lunch program. If you want to see the photos and such, this is thelink to the page where I write about our day with you. Take good care and know that our experience created a lasting impression on our hearts and souls.

Get Involved!

Volunteer Visitors:

Fall 2011:
A Christensen Fund team including Mr. Jeff Campbell, Director of Grant-making, Dr. Bea Calo, Director of Operations and Wolde Gossa Tadesse (PHD), Program Officer of The African Rift Valley, along with 6 Ethiopian guests visited the Common River's Project Site to assess the program.

June 2011:
Univ. of Texas Medical Student Outreach: Global Health Practicum: June 15- July 6 (8 medical students, professor, photographer and 6 youth volunteers)

July 2011:
NOVICK and EISEN FAMILY: July 3-July 18 Adopted children (3) return to their village of origin with their American families as Youth Volunteers: (9 volunteers)

July 2010:
Dave Beutel, a high school science teacher; Lisa Coehlo, a Cal Poly water policy major; and Natalie Urban, a Branson High student with a grant to study HIV/AID will be volunteering for several weeks. Other volunteers include Jackson and Wyatt Isaacs, Kai and Kieu Brewer, and Donna's parents, Richard and Rita Sillan and her sister Diane.

June '10 in US
Hannah Whittemore: Hannah is a sophomore at Claremont McKenna University, and volunteered in the US. She helped to set up blogs and twitter and facebook.

June -July 2010:
University of Texas students return with Dr. Richard Usatine! Eight students will be in Aleta Wondo conducting a women's health survey and assisting Dr. Usatine with a mobile clinic at the Common River site. This will be the third year that students will be doing their practicum with Common River.
View students' blog

February 2010
Yared Tuffa, a Pharmacist and relative of Tsegaye Bekele, living in San Ramon, CA visited Common River and donated many medicines to the community. See web album:
View Slideshow Yared in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia 2-10

WILL SCOTT AWARD 2009
Will Scott is an organic farmer, horticulture student, and bike enthusiast. His expertise is in practice and promotion of healthy sustainable living and community improvement. He has abundant appreciation and enthusiasm for life and community well-being.

Will Scott volunteered for Common River for two months, October through November 2008. He had never been to Africa, but had always wanted to go there and farm. He did just that, cultivating a large demonstration garden and engaging the community and Common River students in the process. He also taught the children and community about healthy habits, the importance of biodiversity, and good farming practices. The entire community loves Will and awaits his return someday. They continue to enjoy the fruits of his labor by eating the vegetables he planted. Upon return to the US he helped organize the "Salaam Triathalon" in August 2009 and raised $5,000 for Common River. Now working at Fresh Run Farm, he has provided the Common River with large varieties of seeds for planting in Aleta Wondo. Common River has created the WILL SCOTT AWARD for volunteers who live up to his exemplary contribution as a volunteer. He is the first recipient of this award and we are honored to name it after him. It is presented annually to the next recipient. This year we are proud to announce the 3rd recipient of the award:

Will Scott Award 2011: Kai Brewer

· Started a Donkey Cart Library: 4th summer in a row and perfected it
· Medical Data Entry at all clinics for UT students
· Built a foot washing station
· Sacrificed a Goat as a Rite of Passage into Manhood



Will Scott Award 2010: Natalie Urban
Natalie, an 11th grader at Branson High School, in Ross, California, followed the large footsteps of Will, providing community service to Common River, in July 2010. Natalie volunteered for three weeks in Aleta Wondo. Ethiopia. Natalie's desire to volunteer in Africa was totally self-initiated. Prior to her visit, she researched various volunteer positions in Africa herself and chose to work with Common River. She wrote a grant proposal to her high school to research the HIV/AIDS situation in an African village. Her school, Branson High, funded her proposal. She came alone without any other volunteer friends, which was a courageous move on her part. It was unusual to have a solo teen volunteer, so it may have been a bit harder for her, not being part of a group. That is where her self-confident and independent nature was clearly displayed. She immersed herself in village life and became one with the community. While in Aleta Wondo, she accomplished her goals through the following activities:

· home visited families living with HIV
· accompanied HIV + patients to the health center and hospital to assure proper treatment    was received
· provided follow-up to persons living with HIV/AIDS to ensure compliance
· taught classes in HIV/AIDs prevention to the Common River students

She also accomplished the following additional activities:
· organized and catalogued the entire school library
· conducted a library class on "how-to" use the library
· taught art classes to the Common River students
· learned to cook traditional Sidama food



Natalie contributed beyond expectation to Common River. Her goals to teach HIV/AIDS prevention were met, which she accomplished with finesse and professionalism. She did more than her original plan, as she saw where there was a need and where she could contribute (in the library). She is inquisitive and interested in culture and learned to cook an entirely unique new cuisine. She is a great ambassador to represent the US as a natural born global citizen. She is ready to show up and work for a large cause with conviction. We only hope that she returns soon, as she has a whole community waiting for her, since she is now considered one of their own daughters. She plans to return to Ethiopia, as she enjoyed helping those less fortunate than herself and would love to share the experience in the field with her family. As she teaches children to ski at home in California, she is adept at working with children and the children just loved her. There were many tears shed upon her departure. Natalie is an exceptional self-motivated and committed community developer, and is mature well beyond her years. It is part of Natalie's nature to be in service to others. We can foresee her truly making the world a better place in her lifetime, as she is an intelligent young woman with a compassionate soul. Thank you Natalie for your Presence!
View Slideshow Natalie Summer 2011

Will Scott Award 2009: Samantha Novick
Sammy, a 10th grader at Marin Catholic, followed the large steps of Will, providing service to Common River, in July 2009. Sammy volunteered for three weeks in Aleta Wondo. Her plan was to teach soccer, which she accomplished with finesse and professionalism. Prior to her service, she spent months preparing, conducting numerous soccer drives throughout Marin County. She collected hundreds of used soccer cleats, jerseys, gloves and shorts, mainly through the Mill Valley Soccer Club. She packed the goods into large duffle bags, bringing in over 500 pounds of luggage, filled with at least 80 pairs of cleats, 28 pairs of shin guards, 110 plus soccer balls, and a ton of uniforms.



While in Aleta Wondo, she organized a soccer camp for over 250 children daily, conducting drills and soccer games, bringing her years of athletic training to the children. Sammy has trained hard in soccer since she was in Kindergarten, and she has developed into an incredible athlete. She displayed immense enthusiasm and talent in training others. Having talent is always a gift, but having the ability to share that talent is an added gift. Sammy possesses that gift. She was readily accepted as a "favorite coach," since she was so friendly and encouraging to all age groups from 5 to 15 years old.

Sammy represented America as one of our best ambassadors. We are grateful to Sammy's dedication and compassion. She is incredibly generous, giving away her personal possessions readily. Not only is she generous with materials, she has a generosity of spirit She plans to come every summer, as she enjoyed helping those in need and less fortunate than herself. Sammy's smile is something that shone constantly and one of the reasons that the community anxiously awaits her return. It is part of Sammy's nature to be in service to others. We can foresee her truly making the world a better place in her lifetime, as she is a natural giver and very compassionate soul.

April-May 2009: University of Texas Medical Students: Drs. Warren and Gretchen Berggren supervise 4th year medical students, and Dr. Richard Usatine supervises 10 1st year students. Website.

April 6 to May 3: Tsegaye in Ethiopia
§ Easter AW celebration for CR children and families
§ Bread-breaking with children
§ Cultural shows and performances (songs and dances)
§ Planted 1200 indigenous coffee trees, and 500 local enset trees
§ Facilitated the construction of 3 additional classrooms
§ 15 families provided with electricity: "We used to read with a candle
  and we couldn't see much. Now we are so happy to have light!"
§ Hired a Program Manager, Melkam Terefa, a recent graduate of Awassa Univ.
  Her major is nutrition.
§ Mesfin Mulugeta (Big Negusse) was promoted to become the official
  Common River Program Coordinator
§ Met with AW community groups: mothers of under-five children
§ Completed the possession of Bekele Hotel for future cultural center and senior center.
§ Facilitated permits for the Ministry of Health
§ Registered Bekele's Blessings Center of Learning

ViewWebalbum of new school construction and Easter celebration

February 2009: Peace Corps Volunteer Kyle Bajtelsmit arrives in Aleta Wondo!
Viewwebablum

3/11/09 Keola Returns to Ethiopia
§ Completed the installation of the bridge.
§ Re-wired electrical plugs and outlets
§ Built latrines and showers
§ Erosion control: built proper terracing
§ Taught English, learned Sidama and Amharic
§ Re-enforced front gate to compound
§ Re-enforced all the windows and doors
§ Began construction of 3 new classrooms

May 2008: Dr. Ruth Berggren, Director of the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas and 3 medical students came to start an internship program between Common River and Univ. of Texas.

October 2008: Wendy Brooks, Founding Director of Telluride Academy,conducted a visit to explore the feasibility of bringing eight 12-16 year old students to Wondo Genet to create a drama with their Ethiopian peers this Spring. Wendy taught 3 classes at the school in drama, math and English.

July - August 2008 and March - May 2009: Keola James, a volunteer contractor spent 2 months working on water and sanitation. He is a "Jack of all Trades, Master of All", in building construction, infrastructure and community organization.



October-November 2008: Will Scott: Will Scott is an organic farmer, horticulture student, and bike enthusiast. His expertise is in practice and promotion of healthy sustainable living and community improvement. He has abundant appreciation and enthusiasm for life and community wellbeing. In Aleta Wondo, he has taught the children and community about healthy habits, the importance of biodiversity, and good farming practices. He has also helped build the demonstration garden with much help from the community and Common River students. He spent 2 months on the ground and plans to come back for a longer period of time in 2009. Common River has created the WILL SCOTT AWARD for volunteers who live up to his exemplary contribution as a volunteer. He is the first recipient of this award and we are honored to name it after him. He will present it annually to the next recipient.