Ethiopia

In response to the overwhelming spread of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Bethany Christian Services is partnering with local community leaders and non-governmental organizations to reach people living in the Kolfe-Keranio region of Addis Ababa. Bethany has signed an agreement with the Ethiopian government to provide social services to this extremely marginalized group of people.

AIDS Awareness and Prevention
Kolfe-Keranio is one of the most deprived areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Estimates suggest that 15% of the 420,000 people living in this area suffer from HIV/AIDS. Due to this rapidly growing pandemic, 16,000 children have been orphaned, with very few receiving government assistance. Acute social problems characterized by substandard living conditions, unemployment, child abandonment, and child labor are on the rise.

Protection of Women and Children*
More than 50% of the 420,000 people living in Kolfe-Keranio are women. Of those women, 90% are unemployed, nearly all are illiterate, and the vast majority have lost their husbands due to AIDS or other illnesses. In this same area, 89% of all children under the age of five, and 88% of all children under the age of 14 live in conditions where access to basic survival needs are either limited or non-existent.
*Source: CSA, 2001: Report on the 2000 Welfare Monitoring Survey

Estimates are that there are thousands of orphans living on the streets of Addis Ababa. It is our goal to rescue as many of these children as possible. It costs Bethany $300 a year to rescue each child and bring them to a safe setting where they are loved and cared for. Will you help us reach out and save another precious child in Ethiopia? Every dollar counts in helping these children.

Bethany’s programs provide immediate food, school supplies, counseling, and support to children. Bethany also provides vocational training, micro-enterprise training, and loans to women in order to help them break them away from poverty.

You can help these women and children through a donation to Bethany Christian Services.