News from Ethiopia

Here at Stand by Me we want the best for our children, but we know many of our kids go home to sleep on the cold ground every night. This year 85 individuals, families, schools and youth groups took part in our February on the floor challenge to provide beds for our children. 

Since reopening our Bethany School, the children have resumed their classes with added measures to reduce the spread of Covid. Unfortunately some cases of Covid have been found amongst the staff at the Bethany School and the school has been closed to ensure there is no further spread of the virus. As we monitor the sitaution carefully, we are pleased to report that so far, none of our children have experienced any Covid symptoms.

In Ethiopia we care for over 1,000 children at our Bethany School and Abdi Academy and when they reach Grade 8 they sit an important national exam to determine whether they can go on to High School. We are absolutely delighted to share with you that every Grade 8 student at our schools in Ethiopia passed their national exams.

Seven year old Aster is a confident, smart and playful student at our Bethany School in Ethiopia.But Aster’s progress was hiding the struggle of her home situation which was revealed to our staff when Aster’s mum, Bekelu, arrived at our project office; distressed and starving.

We’re doing everything we can to make a difference in our kids' lives. Yet many return home after school to go to sleep on the hard, cold ground alongside their parents and siblings. But a bed can change all that.

15 year old Sena is kind and thoughtful, full of potential and, just like every child, deserving of a bright future. But Sena is living with HIV, causing her to worry. Today Sena is healthy thanks to the life-changing HIV Food Programme. She tells us how the programme has taken away her worries and helped her feel happy again. 

Sadly tragedy and unexpected loss are all too common for children in Bekoji. The Stand by Me Bekoji Children’s Village was built to care for children just like Samrawit, orphaned, abandoned and in need of a loving family. We welcomed her into our girls’ home after the death of her father and she immediately fitted in.

Our kids in Dembi Dollo are energetic and have an eagerness to learn but their families do not have adequate income to afford everyday items such as new clothes and school uniforms. That’s why we provide our children around the world with new uniforms and our kids in Dembi Dollo recently received theirs.