Donating

This page was last updated on: September 14, 2008

People often ask me (Terri) if I can give some money to a local charity here for them.

There are of course many NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and charities working in Ethiopia. Some are international, some are home-grown. This list is not an objective one - it is organizations we know of or have worked with. All are doing good work to help alleviate poverty and its effects in Ethiopia.

As you might expect, there are also many people begging on the streets. It's hard to not give something to people, and many of them do need to beg to survive. For me personally, I sometimes avoid giving money to children as I don't want to encourage people to send their children out to beg. But some of them are probably orphans or street children. I tend to give small change to women with babies/young children and also old people.

If you want to ensure that what you give is used for food, an organization called Hope Enterprises sells food vouchers, which you can give to people on the street.

Meseret Care Fund (MCF)- this is a new organization set up by friends of mine, Gerry and Abeba (he's Irish, she's Ethiopian - they also met while Gerry was a VSO) and some Ethiopian friends of theirs. They are supporting families affected by HIV/Aids, in the Entoto area of Addis. The general idea is that an Irish family can support a particular Ethiopian family by giving a fixed monthly amount, and MCF follow up with the family.

Mums for Mums - a locally developed NGO in Mekelle, which is working to address the issues faced particularly by poor, marginalised women in Tigray. They have a bank account which can accept both local and international donations.

Kidane Mehret Orphanage - this orphanage is in Addis, near Arat Kilo. It is run by nuns who are doing a great job.

Fistula Hospital - I have yet to visit the hospital, but I hear alot about it. It was founded about 40 years ago by an Australian husband and wife, the Hamlyns. I don't know how well they are funded - it seems to have a high profile, but I'm sure all donations are welcome. It's also possible to visit it.

Donkey Sanctuary - as you know, Dawit works on a project funded by the Donkey Sanctuary! Their HQ is at the Addis Ababa University Veterinary Faculty in a town called Debre Zeit, a couple of hours south of Addis. Dawit works at a new clinic in Mercato, the big open-air market in Addis. They also have projects based in Mekelle, Bahir Dar and Awassa, covering urban and rural areas. They provide free medicines and treatment for donkeys; they are also raising awareness and educating farmers about treating the animals better so they survive for longer - a donkey is, for most farmers here, the main mode of transporting goods and materials, so it can contribute to improved livelihoods.

Jill Campbell's Weekly Food Run - this is a project run by some ex-pats here in Addis. They do a weekly 'food run', delivering food and drinking water to people living on the streets around the city. They do it entirely voluntarily and have been running it for a number of years. We can give money directly to them through friends in Addis.