Support for orphans and their families in Nefas Mewcha, Ethiopia
A project in co-operation with the German famine relief organisation Welthungerhilfe and the local organisation Wabe Children’s Aid and Training – WCAT
Since the end of the war with Eritrea Ethiopia has almost vanished from the focus of the media, although it is still one of the poorest countries in the world.
Nefas Mewcha, a town of 20.000 inhabitants, is situated in the middle of the North of Ethiopia. The region is one of the poorer areas of an already bitterly poor country. The high number of AIDS cases is one of the reasons for the increase in the number of orphans. Bernard Meier zu Biesen, Welthungerhilfe co-ordinator in Addis Abeba, writes about these orphans:
„They urgently need protection and a positive perspective. Their biggest problems are a lack of comfort and care normally provided by family, lack of nutrition, lack of support for their education, lack of health provision, appalling living conditions and poor social security ... The number of help projects in Nefas Mewcha and in Lay Gaint county is completely insufficient if needy children and young people are to be enabled to lead a decent and independent life and if they are to be safeguarded from crime, abject poverty, prostitution, drug abuse etc.“
In co-operation with Welthungerhilfe and WCAT the Tereska Foundation
supplies 190 orphans and street children with food, education, and general help
enables up to 10 young people to gain job training and help with starting a business
provides training and small loans for up to 20 women (particularly those who look after or bring up orphans)
The Tereska Foundation will initially finance this for a three-year-period.
100% of these monies are directly used by this project.
Excerpt from the Welthungerhilfe application to the Tereska Foundation
The partners
The Welthungerhilfe (German Agro Action) is a large German highly efficient NGO. 2009 it gained the first (PWC) prize for outstanding and transparent reporting.
Wabe Children’s Aid and Training (WCAT) is a smaller Ethiopian NGO, working since 1997.
Both organisations have been working together in Ethiopia since 1997. This co-operation has been very fruitful. WCAT also works very efficiently. Co-operation with a local organisation is a particularly effective way of helping people help themselves.
