Team Shone Gerbe
On May 9, 2026, Watermark Church will be participating in the Amway River Bank Run in downtown Grand Rapids to raise support for the Shone Gerbe CarePoint in Ethiopia. Please join us in supporting the Watermark and Shone Gerbe CarePoint team!
About the Project
The primary objective of this project is to establish a youth center and a mixed market center that will address issues related to skills deficits and the absence of a permanent marketplace, thereby enabling a diverse range of businesses to operate continuously around the clock. Additionally, it will also function as a revenue-generating entity to support the ongoing program implementation within the center and the surrounding HopeChest CarePoints in the Shone area.
As a result of this initiative, approximately 463 youth affiliated with three CarePoints: Shone Gerbe, Shone Yehiwot, and Woyiraboya along with their respective families, will receive direct benefits from the center. The center will be used for HopeChest regional and national trainings with more than 16 CarePoints in the southern part of Ethiopia will have easy access to.
More than 50,000 youths and residents from the town and surrounding areas expected to benefit from this center. The center will feature training rooms, dormitories, market areas, a café and lounge, a conference hall, offices, counseling and workspaces, and a guest house.
About the Partnership
Watermark Church has partnered with Children’s HopeChest at Shone Gerbe CarePoint in Ethiopia since 2019.
Shone Gerbe CarePoint is located approximately 175 miles south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. Many families in the Shone community are small-scale farmers, dependent on seasonal rainfall, and face limited access to clean water, increasing the risk of disease. Parents and guardians have begun self-help savings groups as they work toward starting income-generating activities.
In partnership with Watermark Church, Shone Gerbe CarePoint provides a safe and welcoming space where children and families can access programs that support education, leadership development, nutrition, health, and spiritual growth. Through these programs, children build on their strengths, families gain practical tools to thrive, and the community grows stronger.
By connecting communities, this partnership transforms lives, builds lasting relationships, and empowers local leaders to sustain the CarePoint’s mission for generations.
