What progress have you made since your last update?

Things have progressed nicely. We acquired and installed a high quality industrial mixer (imported from Dubai) to rapidly increase the production of therapeutic food to treat childhood malnutrition and we have placed large orders for vital ingredients (oils/fatty acids and vitamin-mineral supplements) that must be imported to meet production demands. We have an ongoing evaluation project in rural areas to document the effectiveness of this intervention, working with a PhD candidate from Mekelle University, and we have a dedicated and reliable staff working on production and distribution.

The troubles in Tigray continue to be severe. The healthcare system is near collapse due to obstructive policies from the Ethiopian Federal Government, recently documented on the BBC's "Inside Africa" program. Supplies of fuel to the region are tightly restricted and the cost of gasoline is now around $25 USD per gallon. Transportation is very difficult. Almost everyone is walking because nobody can afford motor vehicle travel. This means that ambulance services etc are almost non-existent.

The political climate remains difficult. There are serious tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, which could break out into open conflict. Still, everyone associated with this project is enthusiastic as the benefits are clear and demand for "Fewsi Food" (our name for our peanut-butter based ready-to-use therapeutic food) is high.

What are your next steps?

We continue to work with our logistical supply chain to get the ingredients that we need. This is a long-term project as the need will be here for a long time.

Is there anything others could help you with?

We are still in need of cash assistance to purchase imported ingredients. We will need to order another 12 metric tons of powdered milk within a few months--a major cash outlay--so any help we can get would be greatly appreciated. We are in this for the long haul, with many thanks to our supporters!