Located in the easternmost portion of Africa, Ethiopia is ecologically diverse, comprising desert steppes, highland plateaus, towering mountains, and tropical rainforest. Archeological evidence suggests that people have called this land home for tens of
thousands of years. With one of the first known alphabet systems, Ethiopia is truly a cradle of civilization.
Your support makes all our work possible for Ethiopian children in crisis.
Today, it is the world’s most populous landlocked nation. Its wealth of natural resources lends itself to Ethiopia’s primarily agriculture-based economy. Coffee is its primary export. However, in a land already susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and droughts, the turmoil brought about by political instability, lack of adequate medical services, and a general deficiency in human rights have plunged much of the nation into abject poverty. Diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and dengue fever are tragically common as many Ethiopians lack access to safe water and are not able to practice safe hygiene and sanitation. Lack of education is both a result of and a contributing factor to the widespread poverty plaguing Ethiopia.
Challenges for Children in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, children’s very lives and futures are at risk, as poverty leads to lack of educational and basic resources. Right now, vulnerable children in Ethiopia need your help.
Nearly 36 million children in Ethiopia are living in poverty
We work with our volunteer coordinators in local communities to provide health and nutrition, education, hygiene items, clothes, shoes, and other essentials that help children and families rise above the poverty in which they live.
Our strategy is to focus on individual children through our sponsorship program, ensuring they are receiving exactly what they need on a regular basis. Your support makes all our work possible for Ethiopian children in crisis.
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How do I sponsor a child in Ethiopia?
You can sponsor a child in Ethiopia in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Ethiopia that is available for sponsorship.
Our affiliated project, the Rainbow ‘Erdata’ Center, or simply the Rainbow Center, operates from a small office in the Bole area of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. The Center’s administrators, including our volunteer coordinator, Wini, work with children from slums in and around the city. Today, we hear from our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, about how sponsorship support has helped kids who attend the Rainbow Center during their school years — and into adulthood.
Today, we hear from our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, about how sponsorship support has helped kids who attend the Rainbow Center during their school years — and into adulthood.
“This small community center is run by the government and provides children from impoverished neighborhoods with resources — including those provided by the Children Incorporated sponsorship program,” explained Luis.
“Support from sponsors ensures that children have funds for tuition at local schools, as well as to purchase books and school supplies. At times, food bags are also distributed, depending on the requested needs of the sponsored children’s parents.”
Without this support, many of the children would turn to the streets and become beggars or day to day workers earning meager wages. Because they are able to stay in school, thanks to their sponsors, many children in our program have graduated and gone into higher education,” said Luis.
An association of graduates
Wini’s assistant, Fatima, goes over paperwork with Luis during a visit to the Rainbow Center in Ethiopia.
“Some of the students that have graduated went on to form a small association of graduates, now that they all have permanent jobs in established companies, thanks to some technical training or university education.”
“There are accountants, graphic designers, engineers, and nurses in the group, among other professions. Although they do not make as much money in these professions as they would in similar jobs in the United States, because of the country’s structure, they do live now much favorably than before and are able to take care of themselves and their families,” said Luis.
Learning the value of giving back
“Furthermore, the support provided to them from their sponsors has also instilled in them the desire to help others.”
“Each member of the graduate groups sets aside a bit of their salary to help elderly members of the community,” said Luis.
“On my last trip to Ethiopia in late 2019, I had a chance to meet some of the group members, and they expressed their thanks for the sponsorship support they received. They stated that without the support, they would not be able to study, graduate, and get a profession. They all look happy and reflected on the years of support with gratitude for the opportunity to change their lives.”
“One of them, an engineer working for an IT company, does also provide IT support to some of the children now participating in our sponsorship program at the Rainbow Center. Others help organize meetings, coordinate the distribution of food and school supplies, and help identify children in the local neighborhoods to enroll in our program. Wini informed me that her work is better and more efficient now, with the help of these graduates.”
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How do I sponsor a child in Ethiopia?
You can sponsor a child in Ethiopia in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Ethiopia that is available for sponsorship.
We hear from our volunteer coordinator, Bisrat, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, about how they are using funds from Children Incorporated to support children in our program during this time.
Thank you to all of our sponsors and donors supporting children in our programs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“During this COVID-19 time, we are required by law to close down the after-school programs, and schools also are closed.”
“However, we devised a remote tutoring and food distribution system. That is, we started a foodstuff distribution every month and tutorial handouts distribution every week. Our project staff is doing on-call and physical visits of the students with due care.”
Thank you to all of our sponsors and donors supporting children in our programs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Without you, we couldn’t provide this much-needed support to our affiliated projects around the world.
About Ethiopia
Bisrat prepares bags of grains for families to take home.
Located in the easternmost portion of Africa, Ethiopia is ecologically diverse, comprising desert steppes, highland plateaus, towering mountains, and tropical rainforest. Archeological evidence suggests that people have called this land home for tens of thousands of years. With one of the first known alphabet systems, Ethiopia is truly a cradle of civilization. Today, it is the world’s most populous landlocked nation. Its wealth of natural resources lends itself to Ethiopia’s primarily agriculture-based economy. Coffee is its primary export. However, in a land already susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and droughts, the turmoil brought about by political instability, lack of adequate medical services, and a general deficiency in human rights have plunged much of the nation into abject poverty. About 610,000 Ethiopians are living with HIV/AIDS (2017 est.), and diseases such as malaria, typhoid, and dengue fever are tragically common. Lack of education is both a result of and contributing factor to the widespread poverty plaguing Ethiopia.
Kids Hope Ethiopia Shashamane
The city of Shashamane, located about 150 miles south of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, is no exception to these maladies.
Nearby, Kids Hope Ethiopia serves as a beacon of hope. In this small, rural village, Kids Hope Ethiopia provides impoverished children with nutritious meals, medical care, educational assistance, counseling, and even accommodations for those considered at-risk. In a country where government regulations often hamper economic growth, Kids Hope offers these deserving children the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty through education.
Rainbow “Erdata” Center Addis Ababa
The Rainbow “Erdata” Center serves as a beacon of hope. Founded in 2000, the center’s mission is to provide much-needed assistance to children and their families living in two of the city’s most impoverished slum areas, where parents struggle to provide their children with even one or two meals a day. The Rainbow Center and Children Incorporated have joined together to provide children with not only these basic needs but also education – allowing these children to rise above the difficult socio-economic circumstances that they face.
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN Ethiopia?
You can sponsor a child in Ethiopia in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in Ethiopia that is available for sponsorship.
In countries where Children Incorporated works, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and India, children need mosquito nets to protect them from mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and dengue, so that they will be healthy enough to attend school.
Malaria infects around 250 million people worldwide each year – most of whom are children in Africa.
What is a mosquito net?
A mosquito net is a mesh curtain that is draped over a bed or a sleeping area to offer protection against bites and stings from mosquitos, flies, and other pest insects, and the diseases they carry. Examples of such preventable insect-borne diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika virus and West Nile virus. Research has shown mosquito nets to be an extremely effective method of malaria prevention, averting approximately 663 million cases of malaria over the period 2000–2015.
To be effective, the mesh of the mosquito’s net must be fine enough to prevent insects from entering while still allowing visibility and ventilation. Mosquito netting can be hung over beds from the ceiling or a frame, built into tents, or installed in windows and doors. When hung over beds, however, rectangular nets provide more room for sleeping without the danger of the netting contacting skin, and allowing mosquitos to bite through the netting.
To further protect against mosquito bites, many nets, including those that Children Incorporated provides to children in our program, are pretreated with an appropriate insecticide or insect repellent. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets have been proven to reduce illness, severe complications, and death due to malaria.
Facts about Mosquito-borne illnesses:
– Malaria infects around 250 million people worldwide each year – most of whom are children in Africa.
– Malaria and dengue can result in death, unless detected and treated promptly.
– The most effective means of preventing malaria is to sleep under a mosquito net.
$10 provides a mosquito net for one child and protects them from illness that could keep them from going to school.
What we do
Each year, we purchase thousands of nets which we distribute to our sponsored and unsponsored children and their families, thanks to donations to our Mosquito Net Fund.
How to help
It is simple and very inexpensive to provide a child and his or her family members with life-saving mosquito nets. For as little as $10, you can purchase a mosquito net that will protect an impoverished child from mosquito-borne illnesses.
How can I donate to the Mosquito Net Fund?
You can contribute to our Mosquito Net Fund in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and donate to our Mosquito Net Fund.
As an incredibly diverse continent, it is difficult to sum up Africa as a whole. Each of the 54 countries that Africa comprises is unique and distinctive in its own way, offering beautiful landscapes, rich histories, and varied cultures and customs. Spanning over 5,000 miles north to south and 4,800 miles east to west, Africa contains a wide array of religions and ethnic groups. Within each country, stark contrasts exist between rural areas and bustling cities. Known for its amazing natural wonders and safari adventures, which attract tourists from all over the world, Africa also faces a great deal of adversity, as many people there are plagued by extreme poverty, famine, and war.
Our work in Africa helps thousands of children in need every year.
Facts about Africa
– African has the second-largest population in the world with about 1.2 billion people inhabiting the continent
– Over 1,000 languages are spoken by the people of Africa
– The most-practiced religion in Africa is Islam, followed by Christianity
– The oldest human remains ever discovered, thought to be approximately 200,000 years old, were found in Ethiopia
– The longest river in the world, the Nile (4,132 miles long), is located in Africa
– The world’s largest desert, the Sahara, which is almost the size of the United States, is in Africa
– Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in Africa, at 355 feet high and one mile wide
– Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, at over 19,300 feet
– Madagascar is the largest island in Africa, and it is the fourth-largest island in the world
– Africa is the second-largest continent on earth after Asia, at approximately 11.7 million square miles
– Africa is the hottest continent on earth
In Africa, we provide children and their families with mosquito nets to protect them against mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and dengue through our Mosquito Net Fund, and we support feeding programs through our International Feeding Programs Fund.
– 75% of the world’s poorest countries are located in Africa, including Zimbabwe, Liberia, and Ethiopia
– Diseases like HIV/AIDS are leaving kids orphaned at a very young age; an estimated 50 million orphans live in Africa
– Of all of the people in the world without access to clean water, almost 40% of them live in Africa
– Every day, almost 2,000 children die from diseases linked to unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation
Facts about hunger in Africa
– Half of the continent’s population is children; an ever-increasing number is experiencing stunted growth due to the challenges of malnutrition
– More than 300 million children are chronically hungry, and more than 90% of those children suffer from long-term malnourishment and nutrient deficiency
– The average plot of land that a family living in poverty owns is too small for a garden that could help feed a family
Facts about child education in Africa
– Primary school enrollment in African countries is among the lowest in the world
– 33 million primary school-aged children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not go to school; 18 million of those children are girls
– Although literacy rates in Africa have greatly improved over the last few decades, approximately 40% of Africans over the age of 15, and 50% of women above the age of 25, are illiterate
– Children from the poorest households are 3 times more likely to be out of school than children from the richest households
Facts about child health in Africa
– Malaria kills 3,000 African children per day
– More than 90% of the estimated 300–500 million clinical cases of malaria that occur across the globe every year are documented in Africa – primarily in children under the age of 5
– Measles, malaria, and diarrhea are 3 of the biggest killers of children — yet all are preventable or treatable
– 270 million children have no access to healthcare
– 1 in 5 children in Africa lacks safe drinking water
How you can help
You can help a child living in poverty in Africa to receive basic needs and an education so that they may have the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty – and you can do so in a few different ways. One way is through our child sponsorship program. Sponsorship provides an underprivileged child with basic and education-related necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, school supplies, and school tuition payments. This vital support allows impoverished, vulnerable children to develop to their full potential – physically, emotionally, and socially. Sponsors positively impact the lives of the children they sponsor through the simple knowledge that someone cares about their well-being. This gives children in need hope, which is powerful.
Sponsors positively impact the lives of the children they sponsor through the simple knowledge that someone cares about their well-being.
Our policy has always been to consider the needs of each sponsored and unsponsored child on an individual basis. We work closely with our volunteer coordinators at our project sites, who are familiar with each individual circumstance and the needs of every child in their care. Sponsorship donations are sent to our projects at the beginning of each month in the form of subsidy stipends. Our on-site volunteer coordinators use these funds to purchase basic and education-related items for children in our program, to ensure that they have what they need to do their very best and succeed in school.
You can also help children in need by donating to one of our special funds. In Africa, we provide children and their families with mosquito nets to protect them against mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and dengue through our Mosquito Net Fund, and we support feeding programs through our International Feeding Programs Fund. Our special funds offer options for sponsors who wish to further their support, as well as for donors who wish to make a difference without making a commitment.
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN AFRICA?
You can sponsor a child in Africa at one of our affiliated projects in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in Kenya or Ethiopia who is available for sponsorship.
As the end of the year approaches, I can say that the Children Incorporated staff as a whole is amazed by what we have accomplished thus far in 2017, thanks to our incredible sponsors and donors. When our President and CEO, Ron Carter, sent out a letter in December of 2016 asking our supporters to help us reach our goal of providing 1,000 pairs of new shoes to sponsored and unsponsored children at our projects in the coming year, we never dreamed the response would be so tremendous.
Just three months after launching our Shoe Fund campaign, our supporters had already donated more than $35,000 to ensure that children in our program in Latin America, Africa, and Asia would receive new shoes. We can’t thank you enough for what you have done for these special young girls and boys.
The importance of shoes
There are a lot of basic needs that children go without on a daily basis – something we understand all too well. Providing basic necessities, like clothing, food, hygiene items, and educational support, to kids is the foundation of our sponsorship program, and we believe that each and every one of these aspects is incredibly important in helping children have a greater chance to succeed in life. So why did Mr. Carter want to focus in particular on getting shoes to kids in need?
“Over the years, we have heard many heartbreaking stories about children who are unable to attend school because they don’t have wearable shoes.”
“Over the years, we have heard many heartbreaking stories about children who are unable to attend school because they don’t have wearable shoes,” says Mr. Carter. “In some cases, children attend school only every other day because they have to share a single pair of shoes with a sibling. We have always made a point of providing good, solid shoes to these children, knowing that shoes can be very expensive. As such, the Children Incorporated Shoe Fund campaign has been one of our most meaningful endeavors.”
Because of you, we have provided children at our affiliated projects the Pedro Poveda School, Guarderia El Angel, the Lourdes School, the Santa Clotilde Orphanage, Villa Emilia, the Montero Home, and the Cristo Rey Mission in Bolivia with shoes this year. Thanks to you, children at Hogar Santa Julia and Hogar Santa Maria in Mexico have brand new shoes to wear to school. If it weren’t for you, children at the Dandora Community Center in Kenya, the Rainbow ‘Erdata’ Center in Ethiopia, Chrishanti Lama Sevana in Sri Lanka, La Milagrosa in Costa Rica, and Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala wouldn’t have received new footwear, either.
To date, we have provided 1,235 pairs of shoes to kids in need, and we will continue distributing shoes in the upcoming months.
Thank you for all that you do to help children – we couldn’t do it without you.
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD with children incorporated?
You can sponsor a child with Children Incorporated in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in that is available for sponsorship.
