Three remote villages in Ethiopia now have clean water to drink thanks to the efforts of Ballardites Judith Sanderman and her husband Dennis Wilkins.

The couple has collected donations to buy school supplies, as well as build wells as part of Project Ethiopia, an outreach service they started that are sponsored by the Interfaith Community Church in Ballard.

With the help of financial contributors, the couple is doing their best to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of: access to education; access to safe water and sanitation; adequate housing; and increased food to eliminate hunger.

In 2002, Judith Sanderman traveled to Ethiopia to visit a friend and see the country as a tourist.

After meeting Awoke Genetu, a retired history teacher, the couple learned how primitive some of the villages were.

Elementary school children in the village of Walaji in Gondar could not afford uniforms, pencils or notebooks.

Sanderman and Wilkins decided to send money to help out after they got home.

Genetu used the $300 he received to buy uniforms, books and school supplies for 25 children in a small rural school.

Genetu was interviewed by an Ethiopian radio station and a regional ceremony was held to the presentation of the materials paid for the Sanderman and Wilkins.

Soon after, Genetu sent the couple a stack of receipts proving he had purchased the supplies

"So we sent more money," said Sanderman and Project Ethiopia was born.

Genetu and Workineh Genetu, an organic farmer and beekeeper in Dangla work together on Project Ethiopia back in their homeland.

Project Ethiopia has provided that country's people with school supplies, desks, wells for primary schools and villages, urine-diverting, composting latrines, concrete floors for mud-straw homes, simple farm equipment and taught composting to build soils.

The retired Shoreline Community College math teacher sold cards and paintings she made herself and raised $2,800 when Project Ethiopia was in its earliest stages.

The couple took that money back to an area called Dangla, near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. They visited the poorest schools and chose two to divide up the money.

"They did not know we were coming. We said what do you need," said Sanderman.

The children sat on dirt floors in their classrooms. The couple used the money to buy benches for 1,000 kids.

Sanderman has a photo of a broken chair with only two legs, used by a teacher who propped it against the wall to sit on. They bought the teacher a new office chair.

A large ceremony was held to thank the couple. All the students came. "It was just amazing," said Sanderman.

Each child was given a Polaroid picture of themselves. The kids did not recognize their faces because none of them have see their own photographs or used a mirror.

When Sanderman and Wilkins found out only 12 percent of rural Ethiopia had safe drinking water, the couple decided to help build wells at three schools.

"They drank out of the stream. There is no clean water," said Sanderman.

The couple came back to Seattle and raised money from their church, Interfaith Community Church and asked friends to make donations.

All they needed was $2,355 to build a well. The well was built and money was left over to construct classrooms.

"We're just happy as clams to be able to do something," said Sanderman.

Sanderman is 65 and Wilkins, a manager at Telus, the phone company in Vancouver, British Columbia is 68.

The average life expectancy in Ethiopia is 42 years old.

Now the couple has set a goal of building wells in the villages where three of the schools are located.

"We are working with the villages where they live. There's no sense drinking clean water at school and dirty water at home," said Sanderman. The villages include West Berayta, East Berayta and Bacha.

As the organizers of Project Ethiopia, the couple plans on continuing their work, helping one village at a time.

"It is so humbling. You can make such a difference with so little money," said Sanderman.

Sustainable Ballard honored the couple with a Helping Hands Award in January.

To make a donation to Project Ethiopia, call the Interfaith Community Church at 407-3456. The address is 1763 N.W. 62nd St., Seattle 98107.

Dean Wong may be contacted at 7831244 or deanw@robinsonnews.com