Run Across Ethiopia

With one in four of its’ citizens living on less then $1 dollar a day, Ethiopia stands as one of the poorest countries in the world. Adult literacy stands at 35% and only 49% of school age children are enrolled in classes. In many parts of coffee growing regions the closest school is up to a 4 hour walk. In many, these schools do not have adequate supplies such as desks, chalkboards, notebooks and even books. Education stands as a desperate priority along with access to potable water and health care in many remote villages throughout the country.

With this in mind, Chris Treter from Higher Grounds Trading Co. got back from a trip to Ethiopia in 2010 after meeting with top running groups and organizations along with Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union and the Tesfa Foundation in order to set up the Run Across Ethiopia.  In an effort to raise interest, awareness, and funds for education in Ethiopia, Higher Grounds founded On The Ground, which then organized the “Run Across Ethiopia”. The run  took place between January 8th – January 22nd, 2011 and  and stretched for 300 miles, from the capital city of Addis Ababa to the coffee growing community of Afursa Waro. The village near the town of Yirgacheffe is home to the fair trade coffee cooperative of Negele Gorbitu which has received the most development support from coffee roasters and fair trade premiums. The objective of the run was to highlight the need for better education in Ethiopia while raising an initial goal of $100,000 to build schools and supply materials for education projects through OCFCU and the Tesfa Foundation.