I greet you from Ethiopia. As I write this column, I am now three full days into a 12-day trip on behalf of Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

As part of my responsibility as a board member of Catholic Relief Services, I have joined Archbishop Dolan of Milwaukee and two other board members to visit Ethiopia and Kenya. The theme of CRS is “Giving Hope to a World in Need,” and I have surely experienced this theme in action.

First, let me tell you a little about Catholic Relief Services. Begun in 1945 by the United States Catholic Bishops, CRS continues to be the leading international relief organization with a presence in more than 100 countries. The greatest concentration of aid is in Africa, so I am privileged to see the great need and the true partnerships being developed as the hand and voice of Jesus Christ.

As I witness this ministry, I am very grateful to all of you who have given to Catholic Relief Services. Your funds are being well spent. CRS has been in Ethiopia for 50 years. CRS is held in very high esteem here, and its track record is exceptional.

Ethiopia has a rich history with deep roots in the Christian faith but faces tremendous challenges. In any given year from 4 million to 8 million people are unable to procure the basic food necessities. This situation often goes unnoticed in world news until there is a drop in rainfall, which can result in great famine in parts of the country.

This year the “small rain” in the spring failed to materialize, and there are predictions of hunger for more than 10 million people — out of a total population of 80 million. If the late summer “great rain” does not come, the situation will be much worse. Since the vast majority of the population lives on the edge, any unusual situation causes great problems.

The exceptional standing of Catholic Relief Services and this organization’s deep understanding of the situation in Ethiopia were brought home by four meetings on Wednesday. We met with local Archbishop Berhaneyesus, who also is president of the Ethiopian Catholic Episcopal Conference; the president of Ethiopia; the nuncio; and the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia. At each encounter, we heard of the esteem with which CRS is held in this country, which is less than one percent Roman Catholic.

In his encyclical “Deus Caritas Est,” Pope Benedict XVI addresses the need for the love of God to be shared generously with others, especially those most in need, without proselytizing or expectations. In other words, our acts of charity ought to be ends in themselves. This is CRS’ approach to charity. CRS has a “no-strings-attached” mindset to acts of charity with a concentration on development that will lead to permanent changes and that respects the dignity of all persons. Pope Paul VI said that the new name for peace is development. I am certainly impressed with the CRS’ 50-year track record in Ethiopia.

On Thursday, I experienced firsthand exactly what was described by the officials we met with on Wednesday. Traveling about 50 miles south of Addis Ababa, we visited a few water projects. Let me tell you about the first project — a ribbon-cutting for a new well in a remote area.

Prior to the cutting of the ribbon, the local government official announced to the large crowd that had gathered: “Water is life. Take care of this new source of water as you would your own life.”

We were along a remote private path, barely navigable by car, about 22 kilometers from the nearest town of Meki. A hole for a well had been bored to a length of about 2 1/2 football fields, thanks to a sophisticated rig donated by CRS donors from New York. The local Catholic diocese uses this equipment to move from place to place to create new wells.

An elder over age 65 — life expectancy is 47 compared to 77 in the United States — exclaims that this is his first experience of seeing water flow from a spigot. A teen girl says that she now can go to school since her daily eight-hour chore of hauling water is no more. (Schooling will bring new horizons to the life of this young woman, who is desperately in need of hope for a future.)

A technical assistant with CRS tells me that clean water contributes tremendously (a 50 percent contribution) to good health and to sustaining life. A local committee is being formed to collect small charges for the water. These fees will be used to keep the generator in repair.

Here is Catholic Relief Services in action. Water, which means life for these people, has come after centuries to this community. We witness development and sustained growth happening right before our eyes. Finally, we enter a tent to share a ritual meal of curried meat and local bread with the elders of the community. The elders, in turn, give speeches of gratitude.

We would visit four other projects and briefly enter into the lives of local residents who are mostly Muslim. I cannot tell you how impressed I was with the good being done and with the respect and dignity that characterizes the relationship between CRS and the residents of these communities.