Connect your Heart and your Head as you travel through Ethiopia with like-minded Australians and the Centre for Social Response.

Assisted by our partner- The Relief Society of Tigray (REST) you will journey to the heart of village communities, meet strong women and men committed to lasting change and be engaged in seeing and learning the elements of grassroots development. This 2 week learning and engagement program will connect you to others and to a real world of social change and development experience.

You will travel with a group of like-minded people from all over Australia assisted by an experienced Australian and Ethiopian team of facilitators.

This 13 day learning and travel program in May 2009 is a unique blend of academic, activist and real world inputs and experiences and will connect you to real grass-roots development work.

Description of Global Connections to Ethiopia 2009

You will travel to Ethiopia arriving in the city of Addis Ababa to meet with Graham and Susan where we will engage with the Ethiopian team from REST, Oromia Coffee Farmer’s Co-operative Union and other community organisations and prepare ourselves for the development experience ahead.

After our community development learning inputs and community visits in Addis we will travel to Mekele, the capital of Tigray and break into smaller teams and travel to rural projects in villages around the state of Tigray. Reconvening again in the town of Axum for debriefing, we will travel to Bahir Dah on the banks of Lake Tana for our final sessions where we will reflect on our learnings, build our understandings and decide how we may be able to assist. After our closing ceremony, participants may choose to fly back to Addis Ababa  or continue to explore more of beautiful Ethiopia. A visit to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela cna be organised. (Supplement of US $220 for a 2 day trip to Lalibela)