A Glimmer of Hope: Archive

Reflections on a trip to Ethiopia from Philip’s...

Reflecting on his most recent trip to Ethiopia, Philip chronicles 5 days, and shares personal and moving insights about the journey and the women, men and children the group met along the way. Day One, 4:30 a.m., Thursday, September 23, 2010, Hilton Hotel, Addis Abba I arrived overnight from Austin and met with the group of twenty Glimmer donors and supporters from Austin, London and...

Oct 18th

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Self Reliance, Investment in Infrastructure and...

By Donna Berber John and Breck Spencer at an unprotected spring in the Simien Mountains in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. Recently, 14-year-old Breck Spencer and his father John traveled to northern Ethiopia with A Glimmer of Hope to see the life of the rural poor. For Breck and John, the trip was transformational. I wanted to share with you an insightful letter John recently sent me...

Aug 16th

19 notes

The Journey

The Journey by Donna Berber “Dawn, and as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night on the plain outside Korem, it lights up a biblical famine, now, in the 20th Century.” These words opened Michael Buerk’s first report on Ethiopia’s Great Famine for the BBC on October 24, 1984. Buerk’s words, and the accompanying images of “hell on earth,” shocked the world and famously...

Apr 29th

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Study of A Glimmer of Hope’s Impact

Study of A Glimmer of Hope’s Impact By Donna Berber Recently, students from Harvard, UT and Gondar University completed a major impact study in the village of Burbax in northern Ethiopia. Burbax was one of the two villages selected as a beneficiary of our Let There Be Hope, event held towards the end of last year. Construction is already underway in the village but, before those wells,...

Feb 26th

My Journey 2009: Perspective and Reflections

My Journey 2009: Perspective and Reflections By Donna Berber I recently returned from a magical 10-day trip to Ethiopia with an extraordinary group of people – friends and supporters of A Glimmer of Hope who dared to embark upon an adventure and step into another reality. We arrived at the end of the rainy season which was a treat. The countryside was alive with vibrant colors and incredibly...

Dec 11th

Why Ethiopia

Why Ethiopia by Donna Berber Last week, the United Nations released its annual Human Development Index report and out of 182 ranked countries, Ethiopia came in at No. 171. The statistics make for some grim reading. For example: Average Life Expectancy at birth: 54 years (vs. 79 years in the US) Average GDP per capita: $779 (vs. $45,592 in the US) Adult Literacy Rate (age 15+): 35% For...

Oct 9th

The man behind charity: water - My friend Scott...

The man behind charity: water - My Friend Scott Harrison People often ask me what they can do to make a difference. They understand the huge need that exists in so many poor countries but they are afraid their donations will be wasted. This is one of the main reasons why A Glimmer of Hope exists today – to provide a secure pipeline into the heart of Africa that ensures every dollar is...

Sep 4th

Helping Microfinance Boom in Ethiopia

Helping Microfinance Boom in Ethiopia by Philip Berber When A Glimmer of Hope started its work in rural Ethiopia eight years ago, we began by investing in the basic societal building blocks that were so lacking throughout the country and by establishing partnerships with indigenous development organizations and NGOs. Over the next few years, we implemented hundreds of water and sanitation...

Jul 31st

Children That Learn How to Give Grow Into Adults...

Children That Learn How to Give Grow Into Adults That Know How to Give While much of what we do here at A Glimmer of Hope revolves around situations that are absolutely heartbreaking, we are lucky enough to work in an environment where we hear incredible stories of hope and inspiration almost every day. Our staff meetings don’t center around budget goals or income projections, we talk...

Jun 17th

Smart Aid vs. Dead Aid

Smart Aid vs. Dead Aid Imagine if Americans weren’t just out of work, trying to pay off their debt or save their homes but that they were so poor that they didn’t have clean water to drink, schools for their children or hospitals for their sick. Imagine if thousands of Americans were dying everyday from completely preventable causes. This is great injustice of our world today. One billion...

Apr 2nd

Welcome to our new BLOG site!

Welcome to our new BLOG site! A Glimmer of Hope is a compassionate social enterprise seeking to make a sustainable difference in the lives of some of the poorest people in the world: the remote, rural poor of Ethiopia. We believe in both a hand-up and a hand-out; both aid and trade. Our experienced staff of Ethiopian development specialists in Addis Ababa ensures that every dollar is used to...

Mar 31st