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For the first issue of the year, we are proud to feature an organization that has concrete projects in Ethiopia for children who have suffered in extreme poverty. The Ethiopian Children's Fund was founded by Ethiopian super-model Anna Getaneh, after she personally witnessed the miserable condition of Ethiopian children in refugee camps on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya.
She raised funds for ECF by organizing African cultural events and fashion shows. Initially, ECF started its work in Ethiopia by supporting three existing organizations : Bruh Tesfa - an orphanage for 500 children, The Shashemene School for the Blind, and the Missionaries of Charity - a center established by Mother Theresa for children with AIDS. In the summer of 1996, ECF started building it's own center for children, the ECF Village on 37 acres of land some 34 miles north of Addis. Phase 1 of this project was completed in November of 1999 for $1,500,000 Birr with facilities for 2 classrooms, a clinic, a kitchen, a store, and bathrooms. ECF provides education, lunch, and snacks for 77 under privileged children aged 3 to 8. Future plans of the ECF Village include building homes for children, playgrounds, a kindergarten, an elementary school, a high school, a vocational school, an auditorium, a shop etc. The goal is to provide shelter, education, clothing, medical attention and education to 550 disadvantaged children.
The ECF is featured on www.netaid.org, an internet effort sponsored by the UNDP and Cisco Systems to eradicate extreme poverty in the world.
| Name of
Organization |
Description |
How you can help |
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African AIDS Initiative |
Founded by Elleni Gebreamlak West together with Dr. Seyoum Ayehunie, the doctor who diagnosed the first case of AIDS in Ethiopia in 1985. This organization was the outcome of the First International Conference on AIDS in Ethiopia, organized by Mrs Elleni West. It is an international non-profit organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness in Africa, and provides services in AIDS prevention, education, outreach, teaching, and counseling. After a year of tireless work, Mrs. Elleni West has managed to convince the Ethiopian government of the urgency of the problem and the immediate need for action. She has also been able to convince the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of the need for their involvement in educating the people about prevention. She organized an AIDS rally in Addis Ababa attended by 35,000 people. The organization plans to build a Center in Addis Ababa to encourage awareness education and research on AIDS in Africa. The organization is associated with the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Studies at Harvard University.
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You can help by joining the organization as a member and/or donating money for their work in Ethiopia. For more information contact:
ethio@fas.harvard.edu
or call (617)496-5998
or (617)496-6935
or write to:
African AIDS Initiative
W.E.B Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Studies
Harvard University
69 Dunster St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Web Page: www.africanaidsinitiative.org
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IHA-UDP |
This group picks up where the Norwegian organization
Redd Barna left off in improving living conditions in the
poorest Qebeles
of Addis Ababa. They are involved in 1-
physical upgrades (building and repairing houses and public
latrines, roads, alleys) 2- community development (job
creation, education, correction and rehabilitation) 3- health
education, control of communicable diseases,
immunization, and first aid services). So far, there have
been approximately 42,000 beneficiaries of this project.
The new project area is Qebele08 in woreda23. |
There is a DC chapter of IHA-UDP that is
currently being formed to support the goals
of IHA-UDP in Ethiopia. Information
available on the IHA-UDP web page
(www.ihaudp.org)
Or contact
The Project Coordinator
IHA/UDP
P.O.BOX 6889
Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Tel:15-63-75 /15-18-45
Fax:51-21-77 |
Addis Abeba
Fistula
Hospital |
Founded in 1975 by Drs Reginald and Catherine Hamlin,
this hospital has been providing free care and treatment to
over 1,000 poor women every year to treat and prevent
fistula, childbirth injuries. The hospital receives some
funding from World Vision and the Hamlin Churchill
Childbirth Injuries Fund but needs additional support in
order to continue providing this invaluable service. The
hospital is a registered charitable organization in Addis
Abeba |
The American Friends Foundation for
Childbirth Injuries was formed in June 2000
to ensure the survival of this hospital. The
foundation has an "adoption" program by
which donors can directly sponsor the
treatment of a woman at the hospital, or an
"endowment" program for donating to an
endowment fund
For more information download the
following letter
Or contact:
The American Friends Foundation for
Childbirth Injuries
1307 S. Mary Avenue Suite 205
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 720 - 0433
richaas@earthlink.net
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Getachew
Bolodia
Foundation |
Their web page says it all,
The Getachew Bolodia
Foundation (GBF), a non-political, non-profit making body,
was established in 1994 in memory of Dr Getachew
Bolodia, who was Associate Professor of Biochemistry in
the Faculty of Medicine.
The Foundation is devoted to the promotion of higher
education and research in Ethiopia. It supports in particular,
gifted and deserving university students through offering
fellowship in biology, chemistry and medicine. GBF also
aspires to promote the development of science in Ethiopia
by organizing seminars, workshops and lectures"
The foundation sponsors needy and deserving students by
providing them a pocket allowance to help them meet their
personal expenses. It has also sponsored exchange
programs for GBF fellows between the Faculty of Medicine
at AAU and the Gonder College of Medical Sciences.
GBF also regularly sponsors lectures and workshops to
encourage the dissemination of scientific knowledge.
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GBF depends on membership fees and
donations in order to support it's programs.
Membership fees are $60 per year for full
membership, $500 for lifetime membership
or $5,000 for corporate membership.
For more information refer to their web
page at
http://www.safemail.com
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Ethiopian Children's Fund Inc. |
Founded by Ethiopian model Anna Getaneh, this organization has established the ECF Village 34 miles north of Addis Ababa, and currently provides education and medical attention for 77 disadvantaged children ages 3 to 8. Future plans are to serve 550 under privileged children with expanded facilities that include homes, elementary and secondary schools, vocational schools and clinics. The village targets children who have lived under emergency conditions and who have been exposed to physical and psychological suffering for years. ECF says "We believe that proper care and a nurturing environment, combined with solid education and moral discipline, will provide Ethiopia's disadvantaged children with the best possible chances in the world in which they live."
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ECF has a number of online volunteer positions available including accounting, grant writing, web developing etc. These are listed on the netaid.org web site (here)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ethiopian Children's Fund Inc. (ECF)
Meskerem Asrat
P.O. Box 231019
New York, NY 10023
United States of America
Telephone: (212)-875-8697
Fax: (212)-580-1515
Email: ecfny@aol.com
Website: http://www.ethiopianchildrensfund.org
Also accessible via the www.netaid.org web site
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