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.
Ethiopia
Our work in Ethiopia
We came to know of a town in Ethiopia, which opened our eyes to a new level of poverty. Moved by the commitment of the local church to provide education, we adopted the Bethany School where today we are providing the poorest children with a quality education, daily food, healthcare and family support. The Bethany Children’s Village was later opened to care for orphaned and at risk children. The Abdi Academy opened its doors in 2013 to meet the needs of children at a second site in Ethiopia.
2006
We adopted the Bethany School where 220 students were crammed into two mud classrooms with no resources
2007
We met orphaned and abandoned children who were living on the streets, so we established a loving family home with adoptive parents
2009
New land was acquired for the Bethany School to build a school campus. Today the school offers 450 children a free education, meals and healthcare
2010
We started a medical program, to help kids and parents to receive treatment. Over 60 medical professionals have visited to enhance the health of our children
2010
Established a HIV Food Program providing children and carers with food supplies and counselling, giving them dignity and helping them to fight infection
2011
We built a Children’s Village to provide a loving family environment for orphaned and abandoned children
2013
The Abdi Academy opened for 240 children providing education, family support, medical care, and nutritious meals
2014
We began giving small business grants to the carers of our poorest children to help them earn an income, become self-sufficient and not depend on child labour
2015
Our first students at the Bethany School graduated and are on their way to university! We hope that many more children will follow in their footsteps
2015
On the 1st of October our Bethany School opened the computer lab to enable our kids to develop IT skills
2018
The first class of Grade 8 students at the Abdi Academy took their national exams. Every one of the 22 students passed their exam and progressed to High School.
2020 - 2021
To provide vital food for families struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, Stand by Me launched an appeal. The food parcels were a lifeline for families around the world.
Mahilet, Sena, Grace, Abdi, Mersayit
These are our kids in Ethiopia. They're affectionate, energetic and full of courage. We love watching them grow.
Mahilet was suffering from some serious health issues, as was her mother, so Mahilet was left in the care of her grandmother.
Selling wool at the market did not provide sufficient food for Mahilet and her grandma to survive so we chose to ‘stand by’ them with monthly food and medication. Our care made sure that Mahilet and her grandma could stay together as family. Mahilet is now healthy and thriving. She is attending high school and hopes to be able to go on to study at university.
Sena was born with a problem with one of her legs, so to care for Sena her father would carry her everywhere he went, even to work.
We gave Sena not just a quality education at our Abdi Academy but also nutritious meals, medical care and crutches which she soon learnt to speed around on. But we wanted more for Sena and after appointments with medical experts she had an operation and has been fitted with a prosthetic leg. Now her smile is wide as she gets to wear matching shoes on her feet, once just a dream. We love seeing her confidence grow and grow as she walks around school.
Grace was handed to us in a bundle of rags by a policewoman. But her name wasn’t Grace then, in fact, she didn’t have a name at all.
At just three weeks old she had been abandoned by the roadside. No one wanted her and she was going to be put back where she was found.
But we couldn’t let that happen. So we adopted her and named her Grace. We gave her a comfortable home and a loving family in Jane’s Home at our Children’s Village and today Grace has grown into a confident, funny and friendly girl who is full of life.
Abdi lives with his parents. Both him and his mother have health conditions.
Abdi’s father’s job as a shoe shiner pays so little that they can’t afford adequate food or to pay the rent for their small mud house.
Now a student at our school, Abdi and his family receive monthly packages of nutritious food to keep them healthy and we help them pay their rent so that the family can be secure together. To help them stand on their own feet, we’ve given Abdi’s mother a small business grant to sell vegetables, providing a steady income which will in time allow them to support themselves.
Mersayit lived with her mom and sister in a small mud hut without a toilet, toys or even a bed.
Mersayit’s mom used to have a flock of sheep that helped her earn an income to support her children, but most of her sheep were stolen. This pushed the already struggling family deeper into poverty. Without the means to provide food and clothes for Mersayit, Mersayit's mom felt hopeless. Now Mersayit receives regular food, medical care and a fantastic education at our Bethany School and we were able to provide her family with a comfortable bed. Mersayit is able to play with her friends knowing we are looking after her and her family.