Meet Olit
Aged 7, Ethiopia
Olit lives with her parents and grandmother in a rented two room government house. Olit sleeps on a mattress on the floor. The family have to buy their drinking water locally. Olit's mother is not in good health and is not able to work. Olit's father does some labour work to earn a little but it is not always easy to find work in the area. His income does not cover the very basics for the family.
Understanding their difficult living conditions, Stand by Me gladly accepted Olit into its comprehensive care and supportive sponsorship programme. With sponsorship provision, Olit can receive a good education, nutritious meals, medical care and school materials, along with clothing and shoes.
Olit enjoys going to school and hopes to be a doctor one day. Her favourite colour is red. She likes to play a local game called 'qoda qoda'. She is a confident girl and enjoys learning at school. As Olit's family are Christians, she regularly attends Sunday school at church.
Where Olit lives
Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Famine, HIV/Aids and extreme poverty have resulted in millions of orphans and a life of hardship for the majority of its population. Nearly one million children are orphaned as a result of HIV/Aids. A lack of investment in education and a high dependency on child labour has left five million children without access to an education. Educational opportunities for girls are lower than boys as they are expected to do domestic work or marry at an early age.
Our two schools, the Bethany School and the Abdi Academy are today providing the poorest children with a quality education, daily food, health care and family support. Our Children’s Village has two family homes which care for orphaned and at risk children.
Why Stand by Me?
How your donation is used
92% of your donation will be used to directly provide the best care possible for Olit . We’ll use the remaining 8% to support the work of Stand by Me and find a sponsor for the next child.
What you receive
When you sponsor Olit you will receive a pack in the post with his story and photo. Every year you will receive an update about his/her progress, a new photo and at least one communication from him/her.
Real relationship
We know our kids love to receive your letters and write back so we encourage you to write as many letters as you like, along with photos and birthday gifts to develop a genuine relationship.
Not sure yet?
Ask us anything. We’ve helped sponsors change 1000s of kids’ lives, and we know it can be a big decision. We’re here to help you every step of the way.
