In Ethiopia only 12% of people have access to proper sanitation and only 38% have access to drinking water. This causes widespread waterborne infection and sickness which could be easily avoided with adequate hygiene and sanitation. Many Ethiopians live in derelict buildings or houses made from scavenged material. For these people, facilities such as running water and electricity are unimaginable luxuries.

Working in some of the poorest areas of Addis Ababa and its surrounding towns and villages, the St Francis Integrated Development Organisation (FIDO) helps the people who need it most - displaced people, those without clean water and people whose living conditions put them in danger.

The organization’s expertise is in construction and infrastructure. They enlist the help of the communities they work in both as an efficient use of resources, but also to provoke a sense of ownership over the work done and pride in its achievement. The communities are directly involved in planning for, constructing and maintaining any new buildings or utilities.

FIDO works in isolated villages, helping them install electricity, construct roads and build schools. They set up basic latrines in villages that previously had none and, with the assistance of the residents, reconstruct numerous houses.

Currently, Ethiopiaid Canada is partnering with FIDO to construct four communal latrine stations in the Yeka slum area of Addis Ababa. 60-80% of diseases in Ethiopia are waterborne, and latrines are a crucial step in the prevention of these diseases. Once constructed, a minimum of 200 impoverished residents of Yeka sub-city will have access to use of the latrines. With this project, FIDO & Ethiopiaid will create a higher standard of living and promote a general sense of well-being in the community.

In 2011 and 2012, Ethiopiaid Canada supported FIDO to construct a mother-child health centre in Kirkos Sub-City, another slum area of Addis Ababa. The health centre now stands as a safe place for women to give birth and to access care if they encounter complications. The presence of the centre plays an important role in reducing both infant and maternal mortality and disease.  Health centre employees work to educate and empower women in the community on issues such as HIV/AIDS and harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.