Kid's Hope - Gullele
Date project was established - 2005
Location - Gullele Sub- City, Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Local Partner - Yenega Tesfa Hitsanate Mahiber
Benefits to the community - Hope. Tuition, books and uniforms for orphaned and vulnerable children. After school tutoring and clubs. One hot meal daily. Access to health care. Child care training and food disbursements for guardians of the children.
Project Description - In 2005, after consultation with the Ministry of Social and Labour Affaris and the Child and Youth Affairs Organization Office in Ethiopia, Dr. Richard Northcott began the challenge of assisting with the issue of orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia. Dr. Northcott was introduced to a local NGO, Yenega Tesfa Hitsanate Mahibir (YTH) who was developing a community-based approach to caring for children in need.
The Gullele sub city of Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa was selected as the location of the Kid’s Hope project. The Kebele (local level of government) help identify 100 children in the community that were orphaned and vulnerable, often working and living on the street and rarely attending school. 40 children were initially selected by YTH to enter the program this was soon increased to 50.
The first goals was to ensure that all the children had a suitable home where they could live in a family setting. Next, the children were all enrolled in public school. Tuition was paid, books were purchased, and uniforms were made. This practice has continued each consecutive school year. Once this was accomplished a home in Gullele was rented that would serve as the Kid's Hope Center. Many activities now take place at the Kid's Hope Center. After their regular day of school, the children arrive to the Center for tutoring. Teachers offer help with school work, life skills training, health workshop, and personal grooming instruction. The center provides them with access to a library, shower facilities and membership in democratically and student rub clubs. Center clubs examples include gymnastics club, art club, public speaking and music.
Canadian Humanitarian and Kid's Hope Staff recognize the importance of dealing with the emotional trauma these children have endured after living in extreme poverty for many years. Many children have watched and cared for parent, who had long months of illness before they die. Many have never had all they wanted or needed to eat. One child witnessed her father murder her mother and then commit suicide. The Kid's Hope Center employs social workers to work with the children to help them process and come to terms with their particular circumstances. These social workers also offer to Kid's Hope staff, foster families and the community trainings pertaining to the children's emotional health needs.
The benefits of the Kid's Hope Program are not felt only by the children. While foster families are not compensated monetarily by the program they are provided with much needed items such as cooking utensils, blankets, hygiene items, grain or rice and oil. Free workshops are also offered to foster parents of the children ranging from child care to public health to infectious disease awareness.
Program Successes - Many of the initial children enrolled in the Kid's Hope Program are now finishing high school. Many of them have done well enough in school to go on to vocational training school and university. A scholarship program is being set up that these children can begin to access. As these children move on to post secondary school spaces are opened to bring new children and families from the community into the program.