Projects in Ethiopia 2022

Busajo provides boys and girls, who were previously living on the streets and left extremely vulnerable, with many significant, impactful and life-transforming supports. Whether it be within their residential setting, with their educational supports, life skills development initiatives, skills training or family support and reunification, Busajo transforms the lives of the children in their care.

Mothers with A Heart For Ethiopia has always been so thrilled to be able to support this project with its many diverse initiatives as the impact of abject poverty on children and families is immense and far reaching. With the supports of Busajo, 85% of the children are reunified with family members and for those where reunification is not possible, Busajo works tirelessly to create a life and a future for those individuals.

In Harar, Ethiopia, fifty girls receive soccer uniforms, equipment and training three times a week. There are two teams and several of the girls from both teams play also on a select team. Four coaches not only provide training but also life skills training and emotional support to the girls. Ten of the girl’s families receive monthly food support as they were struggling to meet the basic needs of the family.

One of the girls whose family receives monthly food support told us that before receiving food support, she would argue with her grandmother. Her parents are both dead and her grandmother took her in. She was the top of her classroom before she started to receive food support but now that she has food regularly, she doesn’t argue with her grandmother and her marks have gone up by 10%.

Girls whose families are not able to afford a school uniform and school supplies are also provided this financial support. All girls receive a healthy snack after practice three times a week and meals for special occasions are provided to all 50 girls and the coaches. Girls develop confidence, interpersonal relationship skills, friendships and the knowledge they can do anything boys can do.

Mothers With a Heart for Ethiopia has sponsored 23 girls from grades 5-8 and 28 girls in secondary school, providing them with education, athletic training, life skills instruction, a hot lunch every day, school uniforms, school supplies and a snack after running practice three times a week. This program is located in Soddo Ethiopia.

Girls Gotta Run introduced a Mothers Group teaching 40 mothers of the girls in the program how to save and reinvest.  Financial teaching and empowerment will help to sustain the whole family of the girls in the GGR program.

Mothers With a Heart for Ethiopia was able to do some on the ground evaluation during a trip to Ethiopia in the fall of 2022.  Many girls reported that they benefitted most and enjoyed the life skills training they receive on Saturdays.  They feel more confident and have developed relationship and communication skills that help them every day.  The girls report that they have developed friendships within the program and that they did not have friends before.

With the economic crisis in Ethiopia and the cost of food going up as much as 4 times, the hot lunch the girls receive six times a week is a big help to not only the girls but to their families.  The girls also receive soap and hygiene products and are able to have a shower at the school.

The girls reported feeling physically and psychologically stronger than girls not participating in the program. They felt able to set goals and plan for a future that would provide them with greater opportunities. Their families were grateful their daughters were receiving nutritional benefits from the program as well as educational supports.

A home, food, medical care, clothing, schooling, school supplies and most importantly a family to belong to is provided to two young men, a teen and the group home mom. One of the young men is taking a masters of project management program and the other young man is in college studying media and information technology. The youngest in the group home is in elementary school. The purpose of the group home is to provide a supportive setting in which the young men can learn, develop confidence and to set goals for the future that will help to make a difference in their country.

The prolapsed surgeries project continues to change the lives of women in the area of Soddo Ethiopia! An amazing development is that women are hearing about the availability of this surgery and are travelling for days to come to the Soddo Christian Hospital for assessment and surgery.

Our organization has now funded just under 600 surgeries which has made a huge difference in transforming the lives of the women who struggled with a prolapsed uterus.

We are grateful for the ongoing commitment and dedication of Dr. Mark and Dr. Nate to these women.

Tesfa, a volunteer who personally knows the realities of living on the streets as a child, provides shelter, food, clothing, medical care, education, psychological care, a family and love for all 92 children at his shelter. Located in Harar, Ethiopia, this home is providing a safe refuge filled with love for children ages 3-19 who have been living on the streets, were abandoned or who have faced unthinkable realities due to abject poverty and/or trauma. Mothers With a Heart for Ethiopia has been providing nearly  100% of the shelter’s financial needs since the beginning of the pandemic, civil unrest in Ethiopia and their economic crisis.

This past year, Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia developed and introduced a sponsorship program called Team Tesfa which is unique and ensures that all of the children are treated equally regardless if they have a sponsor.

The children do not know if they have a sponsor but rather, all of the children at the shelter know they have a large group of Canadian friends who care about them and support them.  Each month, all children who celebrated a birthday are honored with cake, special treats, a small gift and party with all of the children.  Each month, a team of volunteer writers write a letter to the children which is read by Tesfa to all of the children.  The letters help the children to learn about Canada, our traditions, foods, culture and will provide life lessons and encouragement.  In turn, the children decided to write us and we are learning from them as well.

Team Tesfa Awards are given once a year in many categories to recognize the hard work, compassion, athletism, volunteer work, leadership abilities, academic achievements, etc. to children in different age categories.

Tesfa’s shelter is a very special place of love, provision, family and guidance.  The Team Team Sponsorship Program is unique and respectful and we encourage anyone interested to become a sponsor.

WRAPS (Washable Reuseable Affordable Pads) provides hundreds of girls each year with a WRAPS kit to help ensure they do not miss school while they are having their periods.  Keeping girls in school helps to reduce early marriage, educate and empower girls through education and help to make lasting change in their communities.

WRAPS also provides employment to women who were living abject poverty.  Now, these women are able to support themselves and their children.  The employees at WRAPS are all encouraged to attend school in the evenings with some women starting back at school at grade 2.  A few of the employees have graduated from college while working at WRAPS.

Within the past year and a half, the WRAPS Café has opened on the grounds of the Soddo Christian Hospital where another 20 women employed.  The food is delicious and the Café is very well supported by the staff at the hospital, visitors of patients and community members.

The WRAPS Café will not only allow for women to be employed but it will help to fund the WRAPS factory where the WRAPS kits, dolls, headbands and backpacks are made.