Cien Keilty-Lucas and Ethiopia Reads invite you to support Team Lions efforts to raise money and awareness of Ethiopia Reads' unique and important work in Ethiopia.  

For the last 3 and half years Cien has dedicated his life to enabling farming communities in Ethiopia to better help themselves.  This has been gradually accomplished through different mechanisms than most are accustomed to seeing when thinking about "development".  Cien and Ethiopia Reads work diligently to not only build institutions of positive change, but to work with the beneficiary communities and local government to ensure access to outstanding education and critical educational resources.  Cien actually sees this through by living, eating and working alongside the communities Ethiopia Read's serve.  It may not be not easy, nor is the Tough Mudder.

That is one of the reasons why Cien feels that the half marathon and obstacle course on July 21 2013 is such a perfect fit to help raise support for the critical work that Ethiopia Reads is doing in South West Ethiopia.

                                                   Who you're helping 

.      Cien, the guy who is leading the Ethiopia Reads Lions through the mud

Literacy rates in Ethiopia average well below 50%. With half of the population aged 16 years and below and school enrollment consistently below 70%, access to high-quality education is an obvious priority. Children need schools; they need skilled teachers and librarians; they need self-confidence and a safe place to learn and they need materials. Ethiopia Reads has strategies to address each need. We collaborate with Ethiopian communities to provide youth and families with the proper tools to improve their futures.

                         The internal framework for one of our schools

Ethiopia Reads is 501 (c)3 NGO registered in the United States as well as in Ethiopia.  The organization employs a nearly 100 percent local Ethiopian staff,  that creates and maintains a variety of programming spanning early child education to sports for development.  All programming revolves around the ethos: we can best serve our beneficiaries by putting ourselves out of a job.  Ethiopia Reads' strives for self-sustainment, longevity and effectiveness in every one of its projects.  The organization was founded 10 years ago and will always be there to support, though a majority of energy is invested in community capacity building. Ethiopia Reads' empower children, women and men alike through education, skill-based workshops, and ongoing educator training.  Ethiopia Reads is a small NGO with a limited budget, but it has earned the respect and trust of its partners and beneficiaries alike.  

                        Graduates of Cien's skill based training initiative

Cien leaves in September to begin his fourth year of working as a project manager in rural Ethiopia. Next year, he will be working with two new communities to realize the dream of bringing a kindergarden and a library into fruition.  In addition, Cien will maintain his position as the Regional Manager of Ethiopia Reads’ Horse Powered Library program, as well as introducing Ethiopia Read’s foray into community health work.  He will be a busy boy, but a happy one.  However, Ethiopia Reads needs your help to make sure that he can make his way back.

                                               Students of ER's new Fundame School

What We Need & What You Get

We are hoping to raise 10,000 dollars to assist Ethiopia Reads cover the costs of organizational operations. This money will help pay Cien's salary, which allows him to then pay back his monumental school loans.  This then enables Cien to continue to build schools, libraries and develop community health programming for Ethiopia Reads. It will also help pay the rent of the Ethiopia Reads Addis Ababa office and the talented workforce inside that office.  With the appropriate support, Ethiopia Reads can then continue working to cultivate Ethiopian minds for a stronger and more promising tomorrow.

Those that are interested in seeing more about Ethiopia Reads’s and Cien's work are urged to visit my website

Ciensinthemiddleofsomewhere.blogspot.com

And for more information on Ethiopia Reads please visit EthiopiaReads.org

How we are hoping to raise the money

Private donations via indiegogo are perfect.   Though Cien is hoping to inspire a few others to run beside him on Ethiopi Reads' Lions (The Mudder Team). Anyone that is interested in participating in the Tough Mudder competition with Ethiopia Reads' Lions will be asked to raise 500 dollars to go towards the total goal of 10,000 dollars.  If we are able to surpass our goal of 10,000 dollars, 50 percent of that that money will then go towards Tough Mudder’s very honorable philanthropic efforts of funding the Wounded Warrior Project. 

Currently Team Lions is comprised of Cien and three of his good friends.  We would love to have more join.  Dont be shy, you would be suprised what we can accomplish together.

Participants will have a reduced entry cost, as well as be provided a custom designed shirt by Cien’s own tattoo artist and good friend at Minneapolis’s Uptown Tattoo. 

All interested parties are asked to contact me via email at CienGreen@gmail.com

Other Ways You Can Help

For those that want to help, but cannot donate please consider…

Sharing this page via your social networks

Spread the word about the joining me and my team of runners

Visit Ethiopia Read’s website and consider some supporting Ethiopia Reads’ work through your own fundraiser

Thank you so much