Ethiopia is a beautiful country located in the Horn of Africa (a peninsula in the northeastern part of Africa). It’s the second most populous country in Africa with a total population of approximately 100 million people. It also boasts the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any African country.
And Ethiopia has many other claims to fame. The country became known as “the birthplace of humanity” after the discovery of “Lucy” (the fossils of a human-like primate of the species Australopithecus afarensis) in 1974. Ethiopia is also the birthplace of one of the world’s favorite beverages: coffee! And Ethiopia is the only country in Africa to have successfully resisted colonization.
But along with all its many positive aspects, Ethiopia has struggled with civil unrest and economic challenges. According to the World Population Review of all countries in the world, Ethiopia is in the bottom 12%, one of the poorest. In the rural regions of Ethiopia—where much of Hope for Eternity’s work is focused—poverty levels are impacted even more by tribal conflicts and weather-related factors.