Gender Equality Ethiopia Project #74794

Emergency Health Access for 200 War-Affected Women

A microproject by Bahir Dar Charity Association

Project Report | Jun 29, 2026
Final Progress Report - Micro project #74794 (Reti

By Simachew Yigzaw | Executive Director

Subject: Final Progress Report – Micro project #74794 (Retired)

Dear GlobalGiving Team,

I am submitting this final report for our micro project, “Emergency Health Access for 200 War-Affected Women & Girls,” which was marked retired 15 days ago.

I write to you with both gratitude and honesty. This is not the report we hoped to write. But it is the report our donors and your platform deserve.

1. What Happened After the Previous Report

As documented in our April 7, 2026 update, the project had received only one donation of $20 a meaningful gesture of trust, but far short of the $5,000 required to enroll 200 women in community-based health insurance for three months.

Over the following 90 days, BDCA continued outreach through local networks, and our GlobalGiving page. Unfortunately, no additional funds were raised.

The micro project was eventually retired due to insufficient funding.

2. How the Funds Were Spent (or Not Spent)

Let me be completely transparent:

The $20 donation was never disbursed to BDCA.
It remained pending with GlobalGiving and was never transferred to our bank account because the project did not reach the funding threshold required for payout.
No health insurance packages were purchased.
To protect beneficiary fairness and avoid creating deadly inequity (one woman treated, 199 left behind), we did not begin implementation.
No administrative or operational costs were incurred against this project.

In short: $0 was spent from this micro project.
No funds were misused because no funds were ever received.

3. What We Did Instead – Without Project Funds

Even though the micro project could not launch, BDCA did not abandon the women who were waiting.

Using our own limited unrestricted reserves, we identified one critically ill displaced mother of three – the same woman mentioned in our April report. She had been suffering from severe abdominal pain for weeks.

We personally covered her $15 consultation fee, $8 in lab tests, and $22 for a 10-day course of antibiotics and pain management. Total: $45.

She is now recovering. One life was quietly saved – not through this micro project, but through the small, sacrificial giving of our own team.

We do not ask GlobalGiving or donors to count this against the project. We simply want you to know that the need was real. And we acted with what little we had.

4. Donor Stewardship and Ethical Closure

Because the $20 donation was never transferred, we have no donor funds to return or reallocate. However, we have taken the following steps:

Attempted to contact the anonymous donor via GlobalGiving’s platform (where possible) to explain the retirement and express our gratitude.
Ensured that our project page clearly reflects the retired status.
Learned a painful but important lesson: for emergency health access in conflict zones, all-or-nothing funding models can leave vulnerable people waiting indefinitely.

We will use this experience to redesign future appeals – perhaps for smaller, phased interventions (e.g., “$75 to insure one woman”) rather than a large single cohort.

5. Final Words of Gratitude

To donor –Ibrahim, who gave $20:
Your gift was never spent, but it was never forgotten. It reminded us that someone, somewhere, believed in the women of Bahir Dar. That belief kept us going.

To GlobalGiving:
Thank you for the opportunity to propose this project. The retirement is disappointing, but your platform gave us visibility and a chance. We remain committed to transparency and to the women we serve.

Respectfully submitted,

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Apr 7, 2026
$20 Raised, 200 Women Waiting: Your Gift Completes

By Simachew Yigzaw | Executive Director

We have our first donation of $20. It is a powerful symbol of trust, but for a displaced mother of three in Bahir Dar, it is not yet the $75 needed for her to walk into a clinic without fear. The "Emergency Health Access for 200 War-Affected Women" project has secured its first vote of confidence, but remains $4,980 away from its goal. We are writing this update not to report impact, but to share a moment of critical transparency: the funds are ready, the women are waiting, and your gift today is the only thing standing between them and the healthcare they urgently need.

1. Project Progress Summary: A First Step, a Clear Path

This report provides an update on the "Emergency Health Access for 200 War-Affected Women & Girls" micro project. During this reporting period, we received our first contribution: $20 from a single individual donor. While we have not yet reached the $5,000 goal required to launch the full 3-month health insurance enrollment for 200 beneficiaries, this initial donation represents a critical first vote of confidence.

In the spirit of transparency and in accordance with GlobalGiving's commitment to donor stewardship, we have logged this contribution. However, due to the funding gap, no direct health insurance packages have been purchased yet. The funds remain in a pending status awaiting disbursement. We have not initiated beneficiary selection to ensure that all selected women receive simultaneous access to care as promised. Our commitment is to deliver on our promise fully, not partially.

2. A Story from the Community: Why Your Gift Matters Now

The need for this project remains urgent and deeply human. During our ongoing community outreach work in Bahir Dar, we recently met a displaced mother of three who had been suffering from severe abdominal pain for weeks. When our team asked why she hadn’t visited a clinic, she explained simply that she could not afford the consultation fee.

Her situation reflects a challenge faced by countless women in conflict-affected communities. When healthcare costs become unaffordable, families delay treatment until conditions become critical—turning manageable illnesses into life-threatening emergencies. This micro project exists to ensure that women like her can access healthcare with dignity and without fear of financial hardship. A single donation of $75 is all it takes to cover one woman for three months.

3. Updated Planning and Organizational Engagement

While direct implementation has not yet started due to the funding gap, BDCA remains fully engaged with the project. We are using this time to strengthen our systems, ensuring rapid and efficient implementation once sufficient funds are secured. This project remains a top priority within BDCA's broader health and wellbeing programs.

Our preparation activities include:

Reviewing Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) enrollment mechanisms for vulnerable women.
Mapping beneficiary communities in Bahir Dar and surrounding areas affected by displacement and conflict.
Coordinating with local health facilities and community health workers who are ready to partner with us.
Finalizing beneficiary identification criteria, prioritizing women-headed households and displaced mothers with urgent medical needs.

4. BDCA's Experience in Expanding Health Access

While this specific micro project is still fundraising, BDCA has a proven track record of delivering health impact across the region. Our recent impact analysis shows:

18,000 vulnerable individuals have been enrolled in community-based health insurance programs.
2,800 children gained access to healthcare services.
Several critically ill individuals received life-saving medical treatment through BDCA support.

This experience provides a strong operational foundation for implementing this GlobalGiving project. We know how to do this. We are simply waiting for the resources to begin.

5. Current Challenge & Maintaining Integrity

The primary challenge remains insufficient funding to launch the program at scale. The project requires $5,000 to enroll 200 women in health access support for three months. At present, the initial $20 contribution is still pending disbursement and has not yet been received in BDCA's bank account.

To maintain fairness and transparency, BDCA has chosen not to begin selecting beneficiaries until adequate funds are available. Starting healthcare for 1 woman but not 199 others in a conflict zone creates ethical risks. We are committed to ensuring the intervention reaches all participants as promised, simultaneously.

6. Next Steps & How You Can Help

BDCA will continue working to mobilize resources and raise awareness about the project. Our next steps include:

Strengthening outreach through the GlobalGiving platform.
Engaging local supporters and diaspora networks.
Continuing community consultations to refine beneficiary targeting.

We are also exploring options to internally match the initial $20 to at least provide one full 3-month insurance package for a single mother of two who is currently displaced in Bahir Dar. We are only $55 away from helping our first beneficiary.

7. Gratitude to Our Supporters

We extend our deepest gratitude to the anonymous donor who gave $20. Your contribution is more than a donation; it is a promise that this project matters. Every contribution—no matter the size—helps keep this initiative active and visible. Your support represents hope for women who currently face severe barriers to accessing healthcare.

BDCA remains committed to transparent reporting and responsible stewardship of all contributions received through the GlobalGiving platform. We will update this report immediately upon the first disbursement of funds or the enrollment of the first beneficiary.

Links:

Emergency Health Access for 200 War-Affected Women &Girls #74794

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