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A critical mass of educated and skilled people is one of the key drivers of development for a country. Many of us who leave Ethiopia seeking better education opportunities know first hand of the severe limitations of education in Ethiopia in terms of access and increasingly in terms of quality as well. One of the reasons for this limitation is lack of educational resources such as books, scientific journals, lab equipment etc. This month Seleda features an organization based in Canada that is doing some good work in helping to alleviate some of these resource constraints faced by educational institutions in Ethiopia such as Addis Ababa University. AHEAD (Association for Higher Education and Development) is a voluntary organization founded in 1998 by a group of Ethiopians in Canada. Thus far they have managed to collect and send over 1000 books and medical journals to the Faculty of Medicine at Addis Ababa University. In addition they have provided 3-year scholarships to 18 medical school students in Ethiopia. AHEAD has received support from various doctors and hospitals in Canada. They also receive support from Canadian packaging companies as well as Ethiopian Airlines for the transport of donated material to Ethiopia. This is a small and young organization but their work deserves our support.
| Name of
Organization |
Description |
How you can help |
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AHEAD |
AHEAD (Association for Higher Education and Development) is a voluntary organization formed by a group of Ethiopians in Canada. Their mission is to improve education in Ethiopian Universities and Colleges by mobilizing resources outside Ethiopia. According to their web page, AHEAD describes their approach as being "modest low-key approach". Founded in 1998, AHEAD has sent over 1000 books and medical journals to the Faculty of Medicine at AAU. They have also provided scholarships to medical school students in Ethiopia. AHEAD works with individuals as well as institutions to achieve their goals.
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You can assist in the efforts of AHEAD by contributing educational material or sending a tax-deductible financial contribution. For more information on how you can help please refer to "AHEAD's pledge page" For more information on AHEAD refer to their web page at "Info"
Or phone 613-727-2735
Or mail: AHEAD P.O. Box 864 Station B Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5P9 Canada
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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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