How much do you know about GDCO?
Gondar Development and Cooperation Organization
• Was recognized as a 501C-NGO on October2, 1991 in Washington, D.C.
• The Scholarship Program is one of its major programs and it was initiated in 1996 by establishing a special committee
• To facilitate its operation, the organization started cooperation with its sister organization, Gondar Relief and Rehabilitation Development Association (GRRDA), Addis Ababa
• GDCO started its scholarship program by providing scholarship to 76 students by using the funds its collected from individuals from Gondar residing in the U.S, and other supporters of the program.
The Program
• Has set up its own bank account and any contribution to the organization is tax deductible
• The accounts are regularly audited by an external auditor
• The organization sends annual report to individuals that have contributed to the scholarship fund. The report includes names of schools and students receiving the fund, and contributing members.
The various chapters in the different states try to give information to interested individuals in their respective regions
• At the annually held soccer tournaments the organization tries to introduce the scholarship program
• Through its newsletter, Lisane Gondar, the organization tries to cover major events and news items
• The organization has a website accessible to the general public
• The scholarship program is periodically evaluated by an independent group and recommended changes are incorporated
• Currently, the organization provides scholarship to 300 qualified candidates in 45 schools
GRRDA
Our sister organization GRRDA (Golma), is a registered local NGO in Ethiopia and it is authorized to conclude program agreements with the Ethiopian Government, administer the distribution of funds sent by GDCO and negotiate with Customs Office the release of goods and educational materials
sent from abroad to schools in the region, Our affiliate organization, GRRDA- Gondar ensures that schools select successful candidates according to the criteria set by GDCO, and the selection is made by a committee made up of school directors, teachers, parent’s representatives, and students.
Impacts made by the organization include:
• Over 4,000 students have received scholarship and
many of them have graduated from universities and
are working in various capacities in different parts of
the country
• The program has operated successfully for over 20
years, which is a testimony to the dedication of many
individuals working to run the program
• Recently, GRRDA, the local organization has taken
the initiative to be a full participant including taking
ownership of the program by contributing about 50%
of the scholarship.
• The program has successfully operated for the last 20 years by accounting fully the distribution of funds
to students
• The program has created espier de corps among
different groups in the region and also serves as an
example of a successful program
• Other organizations from other regions are taking
notice of the program and sharing experiences with
the organization
The scholarship program has developed a major plan to
publicize the success of the program globally, specifically
in Ethiopia, U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, the Middle
East through social media and other written and electronic
media
The program plans to contact various funding
organizations to raise additional funds for the scholarship.
Objective
The objective of this short brief is to provide summary
information to individuals and organizations interested in
the program and to solicit your support in contributing to
the scholarship fund
• Currently, the annual budget to fund a single
student is $125.00
• The total annual budget to fund the program
that serves 300 students in 45 schools is
$37,500.00
Should you have any questions and/or you wish to
contribute to the scholarship fund, you can contact us at
the following address:
GDCO P.O.Box 53336
Website: http://Gondev.org
E-mail: gdcona@gmail.com
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel. (703) 593-8169
