Veronique’s making a difference

31 Oct 2014

Veronique Rizzuto is the Founder and Trustee of a small UK Registered Charity called ‘Building Hope’ which helps to improve the lives of communities in Ethiopia by providing housing and sanitation, educational opportunities and supporting income generating projects

Veronique, who is the Administrator in the Equality and Diversity Office, set up the charity in 2005 after a trip to Ethiopia working as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Veronique was so struck by the abject poverty, misery and despair of young people in particular that she was determined to help build a better life for some of the people she met. The charity’s first project was to build and furnish a library for Karagutu Elementary School and improve sanitation. Later, it built homes for some of the leprosy families living in Dessie.

Building Hope is currently funding some rehabilitation projects for people in Soddo who suffer from podoconiosis. This curable and preventable disease is caused by years of barefoot exposure to red clay soil and manifests itself as a massive swelling of the lower legs and feet. Patients are unable to wear normal shoes or to walk easily, are in constant pain and suffer frequent infections.

The charity is also funding the construction of public shower blocks as an income generating project which will provide a vital service to the community living around ALERT hospital in Addis Ababa. There are no clean, affordable and safe male and female shower blocks available in the community. The business will be managed by Birhan Taye, a working group pf leprosy disabled persons.

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