Situazione dei bambini etiopi
Why we need supporting the orphan and needy children?
Due to incompatible social, economic and political situations millions of children are left parentless and vulnerable in developing countries. HIV/AIDS one of the most furious and threatening diseases among others, is leading vast number of needy children, orphans and vulnerable. According to a report released by UNAIDS, more than 13 million children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS and most of these children are found in Sub Saharan Africa. The number of orphan children with AIDS is expected to rise in the coming years as indicated in ‘children on the Brink (2002) a joint report of USAID/UNICEF. From the UNICEF 2016 report it’s found that 140 million children worldwide are orphans. Therefore the situation of orphan and vulnerable needy children in especially difficult circumstances is crucial and needs to be concerned focus to take as part of the effort to improve the lives and well-being of orphans and other vulnerable children without parental care.
According to the Central Statistics Authority of Ethiopia’s (CSA) Housing and population census, the population of Ethiopia is estimated to be 105.9 million (2019) and from this more than 2.7 million are living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The population of Ethiopia is increasing at high rate; this is due to high fertility rate and this has resulted in a high rural urban migration, which makes the capital city’s population to increase at a very high and according to CSA report. One in 10 children under age 18 are not living with a biological parent and 7% of these children are orphans, with one or both parents dead. The percentage of children who are orphans rises rapidly with age, from 2% among children under age 5 to 6% among children age 5-9 and 17% among children age 15-17. The percentage of children under age 18 who do not live with a biological parent remained the same between 2011 and 2016 (11% and 10%, respectively). The percentage of children under age 18 who are orphans declined slightly, from 9% to 7%. As many studies shows that Addis Ababa is a place with large number of orphans from different societal and economic reasons.
The city (Addis Ababa) suffers from a chronic shortage of essential socio-economic services, inadequate physical infrastructure, and unhealthy environmental condition. Moreover, HIV/AIDS has been taken an increasing toll and is creating unprecedented child welfare problems.
Effects of the Problem
The effects are many, but some of the most fundamental one are the following:
Child Mortality: – According to CSA’s housing and population census orphan and vulnerable children have the least chance to survive. Governmental statistics shows that one in every 13 children dies before celebrating the first birthday. It is obvious that the majority of the deceased are from among orphans and vulnerable children.
Streets: – those who survive abandon the family and become street urchins. They are abused sexually and suffer physically, psychologically and socially.
Prostitution: – the female and male children become prostitute to earn for their livelihoods. They develop health problems and are not getting medical assistance and sufficient diet. Many of them are exposed to death as the result of HIV/AIDS and infection.
Robbery: – Most children are also involved in many social evil practices such as theft, pick pocketing, fighting, robbing and raping. So, many street children experienced police arrest and school dropout.
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LOVE CHILDERN HOME (LCH) is a non-political, non-profit making and non-governmental humanitarian organization. It is legally registered under the Proclamation No. 1113/2019 and have license to operate in accordance with the charities and societies proclamation. LCH is working to address the causes associated to Orphan Vulnerable and needy Children (OVNC) through a comprehensive support. It facilitates and provides necessary support for OVNC. Guided by the aspiration of local communities; we pursue our mission with both excellence and compassion because the people we serve deserve the best.
LCH is founded aiming to create access to a conducive environment for the physical, economic, social and psychological development of children who are in especially difficult circumstance in Addis Ababa especially Kolfe sub city Woreda 2.
It is to be noted that the government of Ethiopia is in action to bring about positive changes in the economic development of the country in the last ten years. However, Ethiopia is still categorized as one of the poorest countries in the world. Factors like environmental degradation, rural urban migration, high pressure of population and wide spread HIV/AIDS are the core causes for the worsening poverty, pervasive food insecurity and high rate of parental morality. Children are the most visible victims of the problems.
Among many other things HIV/AIDS is the main cause for children parentless at this point in time. When parents die, the children are the most who suffer to meet their basic needs as well as protection based on their level of maturation. Generally, children survival and development become at risk when the parents are dead, the living cost is skyrocketing and when the children are lucking caregivers.
Significant numbers of OVNC are living in Kolfe sub-city especially Koshie in Werda 2 of the Addis Ababa Administrative region. As observed personally by founders of LCH, the OVNC population in the community has 500 (five hundred) need for food, shelter, clothing, health care and educational support and above all love and affection. In order to address the challenges of the target beneficiaries and fulfill their basic needs, LCH has come up with the proposal to improve the physical and psychosocial needs of OVNC.
The beneficial activities undertaken in LCH comprehensive care and support for OVNC inside the service and in Kolfe Sub cities of Addis Ababa.
The project will benefit start with 10 OVNC under the program. The basic benefit under the program for the children is to provide with a quality and professionalized physical and psychosocial care service till last longing solutions are devised. There is regular follow-up of children in which the health and nutritional status, physical, educational, social and emotional development of the child is monitored.
CORE VALUES
Values that Drive LOVE CHILDERN HOME (LCH) Programs
In meeting our goals and objectives, and creating a replicable model for serving children in need, our programs shall be driven by the following values:
- LCH is committed to honesty and integrity and therefore operates with 100 percent accountability and transparency for the benefit of its donors, partners, staff and supporters.
- LCH commits that to the best of its ability all decisions that the organization makes ultimately contribute to the mental, physical and spiritual health and well being of disenfranchised children.
- LCH seeks out and fosters partnerships with Ethiopian and other organizations understanding that such partnerships will contribute to achieving the VISION and MISSION of LCH.
- LCH is committed to implement the best practices related to childcare and helping children of trauma.
- LCH supports environmental sustainability and where ever possible will seek out solutions that reduce or minimize environmental impact.
History
Many of the orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia live in households headed by elderly people, children or adult relatives who are terminally ill. A large number of children live in dire poverty. Children growing up in such circumstances are at greater risk of being affected by poor nutrition, inadequate access to education, lack of emotional support, health and exploitation and abuse.
Love children home (LCH), a community-based model, which was conceived after the founder, Meaza Abraha visited a school in Addis Ababa. It was in 2014, when Meaza and other three ladies decided to visit a school called Biruh Tesfa. In the school together with other three ladies found quite big number of children which are close to 2000. Most of them were orphans and needy children . Some have lost one of their parents. Around 500 of them are supported by fellow citizens and supporters from outside the country and they eat their lunch in the school. Others were forced to search food around the school. I find some were in a festering landscape of rotting food, plastic bags and junk at the koshe garbage dump in Addis Ababa near Biruh Tesfa School.
The director of the school has briefed me entirely about the orphans and needy children and it has ignited passion to visit the school for the second time. We have come to this area to meet many of the poorest of the poor, who have little and try to raise their children in the most horrible conditions. The second time visit was with purpose in mind. By the time, I found a woman seated at the director office of the school. Her name is Yetemwork. Yetemwork was pregnant with twins due in one week time and diagnosed with HIV. Her husband had died of AIDS-related illness, leaving 4 years boy with mother to help care.
Yetemwork’s house has no furniture inside her mud-brick house. Outside, there is a makeshift kitchen for cooking the family meal. Yetemwork and her 4 years boy live closely and eat from the garbage dump. This family is one of the many living in this dangerous area of the city. The boy searches through the garbage to find anything he can eat.
“I looked at the pregnant women and her 4 years boy and could not stop crying. Question! Who is going to take care of them and their many needs?” That day marked the turning point in Yetemwork and her 4 years boy’s lives. I have given whatsoever money I have had in my wallet for the expenses she will face when she have her twin babies, and tips for spending on her new born. In 2014, I, began the initiative to transform the life of such vulnerable children.
Yetemwork gave birth week later and I have decided to make the support on monthly basis since then. The twins were beautiful baby girls and free of HIV AIDS. “Who would have thought that way?
I have decided to try another way to help the children in need, using selling out wedding gifts. The discussion on this with my husband turned and proven to be very successful to prevent the children from hunger and abuse. That was the start-up of the project of LCH and the continued support was made available accordingly for three years. After three years, I left with no financial support for next month. My heart melt when I see I have nothing to provide for next month.
It was two weeks left to visit Yetemwork and her three children. It was not easy to think of their next food, and shelter, which are the basic ingredients for survival. Take a moment to imagine what your life could look like if you had lacked a support. God is always good. Divine intervention has followed! I met a friend of my husband who came to Ethiopia to visit us but with a divine purpose. Until this year 2019 he has made generous and continued support. As you can see from the picture the twins (Meron and Melat) are grown and they are now 5 years old and the boy (Bisrat) is 9 years old. They all go to school to learn and Yetemwork is getting the medical treatment of HIV AIDS.
Yetemwork and her three children Bisrat, Meron, and Melat (Photo October 2019 Addis Ababa)
In conclusion we are here to give you any information that might be in the interest of you through the email or phone number/WhatsApp. Your money will be used to pay for the support of the children. LCH’s dream is to help the children because they have a lot of problems facing them. I am sad to see the pain from the situation of being orphan and vulnerable who lost both or one of the parents. I want to welcome you to join LCH’s ideas where you are and let’s make something together and strongly in Jesus name we shall succeed on it. Please contact me. Thank you.
LOVE CHILDERN HOME (LCH) is a non-political, non-profit making and non-governmental humanitarian organization. It is legally registered under the Proclamation No. 1113/2019 and have license to operate in accordance with the charities and societies proclamation. LCH is working to address the causes associated to Orphan Vulnerable and needy Children (OVNC) through a comprehensive support. It facilitates and provides necessary support for OVNC. Guided by the aspiration of local communities; we pursue our mission with both excellence and compassion because the people we serve deserve the best.
LCH is founded aiming to create access to a conducive environment for the physical, economic, social and psychological development of children who are in especially difficult circumstance in Addis Ababa especially Kolfe sub city Woreda 2.
It is to be noted that the government of Ethiopia is in action to bring about positive changes in the economic development of the country in the last ten years. However, Ethiopia is still categorized as one of the poorest countries in the world. Factors like environmental degradation, rural urban migration, high pressure of population and wide spread HIV/AIDS are the core causes for the worsening poverty, pervasive food insecurity and high rate of parental morality. Children are the most visible victims of the problems.
Among many other things HIV/AIDS is the main cause for children parentless at this point in time. When parents die, the children are the most who suffer to meet their basic needs as well as protection based on their level of maturation. Generally, children survival and development become at risk when the parents are dead, the living cost is skyrocketing and when the children are lucking caregivers.
Significant numbers of OVNC are living in Kolfe sub-city especially Koshie in Werda 2 of the Addis Ababa Administrative region. As observed personally by founders of LCH, the OVNC population in the community has 500 (five hundred) need for food, shelter, clothing, health care and educational support and above all love and affection. In order to address the challenges of the target beneficiaries and fulfill their basic needs, LCH has come up with the proposal to improve the physical and psychosocial needs of OVNC.
The beneficial activities undertaken in LCH comprehensive care and support for OVNC inside the service and in Kolfe Sub cities of Addis Ababa.
The project will benefit start with 10 OVNC under the program. The basic benefit under the program for the children is to provide with a quality and professionalized physical and psychosocial care service till last longing solutions are devised. There is regular follow-up of children in which the health and nutritional status, physical, educational, social and emotional development of the child is monitored.
CORE VALUES
Values that Drive LOVE CHILDERN HOME (LCH) Programs
In meeting our goals and objectives, and creating a replicable model for serving children in need, our programs shall be driven by the following values:
- LCH is committed to honesty and integrity and therefore operates with 100 percent accountability and transparency for the benefit of its donors, partners, staff and supporters.
- LCH commits that to the best of its ability all decisions that the organization makes ultimately contribute to the mental, physical and spiritual health and well being of disenfranchised children.
- LCH seeks out and fosters partnerships with Ethiopian and other organizations understanding that such partnerships will contribute to achieving the VISION and MISSION of LCH.
- LCH is committed to implement the best practices related to childcare and helping children of trauma.
- LCH supports environmental sustainability and where ever possible will seek out solutions that reduce or minimize environmental impact.
History
Many of the orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia live in households headed by elderly people, children or adult relatives who are terminally ill. A large number of children live in dire poverty. Children growing up in such circumstances are at greater risk of being affected by poor nutrition, inadequate access to education, lack of emotional support, health and exploitation and abuse.
Love children home (LCH), a community-based model, which was conceived after the founder, Meaza Abraha visited a school in Addis Ababa. It was in 2014, when Meaza and other three ladies decided to visit a school called Biruh Tesfa. In the school together with other three ladies found quite big number of children which are close to 2000. Most of them were orphans and needy children . Some have lost one of their parents. Around 500 of them are supported by fellow citizens and supporters from outside the country and they eat their lunch in the school. Others were forced to search food around the school. I find some were in a festering landscape of rotting food, plastic bags and junk at the koshe garbage dump in Addis Ababa near Biruh Tesfa School.
The director of the school has briefed me entirely about the orphans and needy children and it has ignited passion to visit the school for the second time. We have come to this area to meet many of the poorest of the poor, who have little and try to raise their children in the most horrible conditions. The second time visit was with purpose in mind. By the time, I found a woman seated at the director office of the school. Her name is Yetemwork. Yetemwork was pregnant with twins due in one week time and diagnosed with HIV. Her husband had died of AIDS-related illness, leaving 4 years boy with mother to help care.
Yetemwork’s house has no furniture inside her mud-brick house. Outside, there is a makeshift kitchen for cooking the family meal. Yetemwork and her 4 years boy live closely and eat from the garbage dump. This family is one of the many living in this dangerous area of the city. The boy searches through the garbage to find anything he can eat.
“I looked at the pregnant women and her 4 years boy and could not stop crying. Question! Who is going to take care of them and their many needs?” That day marked the turning point in Yetemwork and her 4 years boy’s lives. I have given whatsoever money I have had in my wallet for the expenses she will face when she have her twin babies, and tips for spending on her new born. In 2014, I, began the initiative to transform the life of such vulnerable children.
Yetemwork gave birth week later and I have decided to make the support on monthly basis since then. The twins were beautiful baby girls and free of HIV AIDS. “Who would have thought that way?
I have decided to try another way to help the children in need, using selling out wedding gifts. The discussion on this with my husband turned and proven to be very successful to prevent the children from hunger and abuse. That was the start-up of the project of LCH and the continued support was made available accordingly for three years. After three years, I left with no financial support for next month. My heart melt when I see I have nothing to provide for next month.
It was two weeks left to visit Yetemwork and her three children. It was not easy to think of their next food, and shelter, which are the basic ingredients for survival. Take a moment to imagine what your life could look like if you had lacked a support. God is always good. Divine intervention has followed! I met a friend of my husband who came to Ethiopia to visit us but with a divine purpose. Until this year 2019 he has made generous and continued support. As you can see from the picture the twins (Meron and Melat) are grown and they are now 5 years old and the boy (Bisrat) is 9 years old. They all go to school to learn and Yetemwork is getting the medical treatment of HIV AIDS.
Yetemwork and her three children Bisrat, Meron, and Melat (Photo October 2019 Addis Ababa)
In conclusion we are here to give you any information that might be in the interest of you through the email or phone number/WhatsApp. Your money will be used to pay for the support of the children. LCH’s dream is to help the children because they have a lot of problems facing them. I am sad to see the pain from the situation of being orphan and vulnerable who lost both or one of the parents. I want to welcome you to join LCH’s ideas where you are and let’s make something together and strongly in Jesus name we shall succeed on it. Please contact me. Thank you.