Helmsley Charitable Trust awards $5 million to Glimmer. Read more.
Glimmer's Impact In
Ethiopia

Highlights Of The 2017 Annual Report

In 2017, Glimmer Made An Impact

Invested

4.7

Million Dollars

Improved

107,500

Lives

Worked In

49

Villages

Our Integrated Approach Changed Lives

This year, Glimmer expanded our work in economic empowerment, and improved health, nutrition and education for the most vulnerable.

3,253 Farmers Empowered

Glimmer expanded our support for rural farmers through agriculture programs like business trainings, irrigation and microloans. By investing in family farms, we improve nutrition and food access for the entire community.

22 Schools Received Early Childhood Learning Support

Glimmer increased our investment in early childhood education to jump-start learning in rural communities. These classes promote social and emotional growth and better prepare children to succeed in school.

300 Female Leaders Trained In Preventative Health Care

Glimmer partnered with local female leaders to administer community-wide nutrition trainings. Mothers were educated on safe food preparation, child nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding.

595 Community Leaders Trained In Sanitation and Hygiene

Glimmer supported leadership trainings on sanitation and hygiene practices and basic well maintenance. Leadership trainings increase the sustainability of our work and, as knowledge is shared, the health of the community.

Glimmer Invested In
49 Rural Villages,
Across 7 Program Areas

1
Villages of Medebay Zana

Glimmer supported agricultural and small business loans for female-headed households in this community of 94,500 people.

2
Villages of Maichew

Glimmer expanded our health center in the Villages of Maichew to better support families during long-term stays.

3
Villages of Adikeyh

In 2017, Glimmer expanded resources to school leaders and instructors to promote active and engaged learning within their classrooms.

4
Senale Village

This year, new desks, books and hands-on learning supplies improved education for hundreds of students in Senale Village.

5
Villages of Gondar

Glimmer completed our third year of loan distribution in the Villages of Gondar. Thousands of dollars have been invested into microloans for family farms and small businesses across the 10 villages.

6
Villages of Shoa

Glimmer launched our third year of projects in the Villages of Shoa in 2017. Clean water, education, health care and microfinance loans have improved the quality of life in this community.

7
Tercha Village

New veterinary services, launched in 2017, will support the livelihoods of thousands of residents in Tercha Village.

Glimmer Believes
Women And Girls Drive Change

In 2017, Glimmer empowered women and girls to invest in their own futures.

Empowering Girl Leaders

342 Trained
At Girls' Clubs

Girls learned about menstruation, early marriage, safety and hygiene at Glimmer’s school-based clubs. Students then shared lessons with their peers and families, increasing the clubs’ impact.

Our interviews with the girls’ clubs in the Villages of Shoa show how a small group can create 
big change.

Visit The Girls' Clubs In Shoa

Maternal Care

3,432 Births At Glimmer
Health Centers

Glimmer’s health centers provided prenatal, delivery and postnatal care for mothers and essential care for their families.

Female Entrepreneurs

1,200 Loans For Women

Glimmer provided access to microloans and trainings to women who, in turn, supported their families and community markets.

Read Wereqet's Story

The Glimmer Community Dreams Big

This year, our partners and donors inspired us with their insights, passion and commitment to Ethiopia.

Glimmer Partner Meeting Influences Widespread Change

With shared knowledge and learning, we are building a powerful movement that advances our collective vision for rural Ethiopia.

Read How We Did It

Global Changemakers

In the fall of 2017, Austin Tennis Academy launched a $100,000 fundraiser with a “Walk for Water” event. Students carried 40-pound jugs of water across academy grounds in solidarity with the women and children of rural Ethiopia.

Meeting of the Minds

In September, the CEO of IKEA Foundation, Per Heggenes, along with other Glimmer supporters from around the world, joined us for a planning session to explore how to increase Glimmer’s impact.

Dancing For Water

The Jubilee Dance Company raised funds for clean water through a benefit performance in partnership with longtime Glimmer supporters Evangeline International.

Trip Attendees Share the Walk

A group of passionate supporters journeyed across Ethiopia to experience Glimmer's impact and the joys and trials of village life.

Food Security
For Letebrihan

An irrigation project near Letebrihan’s farm has transformed dry ground into a source of nutrition for her community.

See Letebrihan's Thriving Farm

A Message From Glimmer's CEO

Our Bold Vision

In 2017, I challenged my teams in Austin and Ethiopia to explore how we can improve to create the greatest impact. We asked Glimmer’s supporters to weigh in – from the CEO of the IKEA Foundation to local Ethiopian partners to donors who share our passion and vision.

Together, we examined where we have gaps and how to expand our reach. Since our founding 17 years ago, we’ve believed in the power of an integrated approach to transform communities. Everything we’ve learned over the years led us to 2017 – a year that marks important refinements to our work.

We are focusing more on quality education trainings to support dramatic increases in primary education enrollment across Ethiopia.

We are looking at ways to strengthen female decision-making power. We are increasing our commitment to economic empowerment with new strategies to build income, protect against climate change and improve nutrition.

Glimmer’s vision for rural Ethiopia is bold. We want to see women and girls empowered to make their own decisions. We want to see families resilient in the face of drought. We want to see healthier, safer communities. Our work will be done when poverty and inequality are eliminated.

To realize our vision, we must dream big, take risks and look at our mistakes. This is the core of who we are at Glimmer.

This is an incredibly exciting time for Glimmer and our work. The strides we made in 2017 will create even more change in rural Ethiopia in the years to come. Where we are going requires tireless commitment and true partnership with the people of Ethiopia. In this world, where there is such stark inequality, progress is only possible when we rise together to create a union where the extremes become less exaggerated and we uplift those who suffer the most.

Thank you for being a part of Glimmer.

Donna Berber

Donna Berber
CEO and Founder

To view our full annual report, download the PDF

Download The Full Report