ETHIOPIA

Glimmer was founded in 2000 by Donna and Philip Berber with the vision to support and uplift rural communities in Ethiopia.

Our founding story

Three women standing close together, smiling, outside with a rustic background of wood and metal.

When the images of the great Ethiopian famine emerged in the mid-1980s, Donna Berber was deeply shaken. Donna attended Live Aid, the global concert that brought attention to the devastating famine that claimed millions of victims, which planted a seed that later inspired a vision that would change millions of lives.

More than 10,000

Projects completed

Glimmer has impacted over 5 million people in rural Ethiopia, catalyzing economic growth, empowerment, and community resilience.

Returning to our roots

Glimmer is investing in local initiatives through grants funded from the foundation's endowment with a focus on women and children living with critical needs. This is a return to our roots, Glimmer was born out of a desire to relieve some of the pain and suffering on the planet, inspired by the famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s. Today, as the country continues to endure the ongoing impacts of war and drought, our new direction allows more direct funding focus on women’s recovery and transformation.

A woman holding hands with children in a grassy field, with a construction site and other people in the background.
Six young girls standing outdoors on a dirt path, smiling, with two yellow jerrycans and a bag in front of them.
A smiling couple stands outdoors in front of a desert landscape with rocks and sparse vegetation. The woman has brown hair, sunglasses on her head, and is wearing a black t-shirt and a red jacket. The man has short gray hair, and is wearing a dark gr
A man in a yellow jacket high-fives a young girl in a classroom with other children.
Two women smiling and posing for a photo, one holding a bouquet of yellow flowers, standing in front of a stone wall.
Three teachers standing in front of a classroom with students seated at desks, smiling and wearing hats, in a rural school classroom.

“Glimmer’s help is God sent”

Selamawit Bazezew, a young mother and war trauma survivor, received a 24,000-birr ($150 USD) grant from Glimmer and REST to start a grain trade. Escaping extreme poverty, she has now diversified her business.

“The deeper you go into community, the greater the opportunity for life to change and to be sustained across generations.”

-Donna Berber