ABOUT ETHIOPIA AND MEKELLE
Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa is orphaned by AIDS.

Our Ethiopian connection stems from experience with the Hope Community Services Orphanage, The Blind Boarding School, the Mekelle Hospital, and local health clinics. In support of our commitment to Mekelle,  Jeremy and Charlie have traveled four times in the last two years to advance our PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, and PLANS . Our current focus is on building a farm for the orphanage to provide a healthy diet for the children and staff,  and, thanks to a generous grant, constructing a kitchen and dining hall that will not only serve the orphanage, but also the local children in need. See our FEATURED SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT for details and pictures of this important project.

ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia has the world’s third largest HIV-positive population. Of the estimated 14 million children orphaned by AIDS in the world, almost one million are Ethiopian. Tens of thousands of these children are themselves infected by the disease. It is projected by UNAIDS that the numbers will double within the next five years. Despite the shocking statistics and enormity of the task ahead, The Children’s Initiative is dedicated to helping children wherever and however we can.

Ethiopia is a nation ravaged by years of internal strife and border wars, with much of the devastation centered in the dry northern province of Tigrai which is adjacent to Eritrea. Many children have been orphaned in all the unrest and by epidemic of AIDS sweeping the continent. The crushing poverty renders prospects for these most vulnerable children almost hopeless, but hope survives.

MEKELLE
The Children’s Initiative is fortunate to partner with Gebre (“Gabe”) Beyene’s Hope Community Services, an Ethiopian-based, government-approved social service organization based in Mekelle. HCS enjoys deep respect from the regional government, local physicians, educators, and the entire Mekelle community. The orphanage  will eventually grow to provide a safe and caring environment for over 100 orphans, and the farm spearheaded by TCI will satisfy the nutritional needs of the staff and children, helping the orphanage reach sustainability. Additionally, the Blind Boarding School, where 80 children receive schooling in Braille, is a major focus of TCI and Gabe’s work.

AIDS
Prior to 2004, the prognosis for HIV-positive children was an almost-certain early death, and the limited care was focused on making their short lives less miserable. However, with the availability of antiretroviral drugs, there is now the capability to prolong lives, improve health, and allow these children to attend school and plan for a future. TCI is active in the administration of antiretroviral drug therapies to children.

There is also a remarkable effort to prevent HIV infection through education, supported by Hope Community Services and The Children’s Initiative. In small villages in Tigrai, local people are being taught health stories that will empower them to protect themselves and their families from AIDS. This requires paying teachers to go house-to-house and share this life-saving information. With sufficient funding, this program will reduce the impact of AIDS while boosting the knowledge and health skills of children, their families, and entire communities.

*** Help us take the INITIATIVE to help children ***