Sponsors can choose from six care centres, all helping children and the surrounding community.

About Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Africa’s oldest nation and has never been colonised and remains independent.  It has long suffered, however from severe droughts resulting in famine and poor access to sanitation facilities.

Poverty is widespread with forty percent of its massive population living below the poverty line.  Half the population is illiterate and droughts and famine result in huge displacement of families, disrupting or even discontinuing children’s education.

Sanitation infrastructure is poor and communicable diseases spread easily, taxing an already underfunded health system. HIV/AIDS is another disease affecting the children of Ethiopia as parents are dying and there are currently 120,000 children infected with HIV/AIDS.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia

The most severe famine took place in 1974 and SOS Children’s Villages responded with the opening of its first Village in 1975.   Since then SOS has built five more Villages that provide medical assistance, schooling, community centres and vocational training.  There are also social services such as The Family Strengthening Programmes which target families and helps them stay united in these challenging circumstances.

There are several medical operations that providing testing and treatments for those living with HIV/AIDS and several education and preventative initiatives are running in the six Villages.

In the Villages in Ethiopia, SOS teaches agricultural skills with several locations focusing on diary farming and vegetable production to teach relevant trade skills and self-sufficiency.

Overall, SOS Children’s Villages helps 64,000 Ethiopians through their facilities.