Support for Kidane Mehret Children’s Home - Ethiopia

Hi,

My name is Meseret. My siblings and I are returning to Ethiopia together for the first time since we came to Australia in 2009. It is important to us to go and give back to the place that took care of us when we were at our most vulnerable. We hope to take the funds raised and buy supplies needed when we are in Ethiopia for Kidane Mehret Children’s Home – an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This will give us the most value for our dollar whilst helping the children who are in similar positions to the one we found ourselves in. Any amount will be of incredible value and we will be sure to hand deliver 100% of your gift to Kidane Mehret.

Our story:

After our parents passed away and our relative couldn't support us, so, we were put into Kidane Mehret Children’s Home in 2004; we were aged 2, 4,6 and 9. we spend 4 years of our life before we got adopted and moved to Australia. There is more details about us on the video we attached.

About Kidane Mehret Children’s Home:

Kidane Mehret is an orphanage run by the Catholic Church. It has functioned for over decades – the last 50 years under the supervision of Sister Lutguarda – who has given her life to serve the vulnerable children of Ethiopia. Kidane Mehret Children’s Home receives no government support and it relies on support from individuals and organisations.

The Ethiopian Government halted all inter-country adoption, leaving millions of children in the care of places like Kidane Mehret Children’s Home. Only those fit and healthy enough to grown up in Ethiopia can be adopted domestically. Many of those in Sister Lutgarda’s care have special physical or intellectual needs and of course all are affected by the trauma of finding themselves in that situation. On top of that, since the covid pandemic, much of the orphanage’s international support has dropped significantly. Added to these financial issues – Ethiopia has experienced runaway inflation over the last few years due largely to a civil war and ongoing internal conflict. Daily life is many times more expensive for people.

Life is nearly impossible for many and at times, children need to be surrendered to places like Kidane Mehret Children’s Home because families can’t afford to care for them.

The children in Sr Lutgarda’s care are 100% reliant on outside support. As very few children are being adopted (domestically) more and more children are reliant on support at Kidane Mehret until they are 17 years old.

Sister Lutgarda and her team care for newborns up to the age of 17 when individual age out of the system. She needs support for the daily food needs, school supplies, clothing and medical costs of the children she cares for. She also supports children who have aged out of the system to ensure they can adapt into wider society – either through further studies or through finding a job.

Sponsorship allows her to provide long term plans for the children in her care. If you would be open to support children long term through sponsorship, please contact me and I can connect you with Sister Lutgarda.

The funds we raise through gofundme will go directly to help Sister Lutgarda for the kids' daily needs. The four of us are going to Ethiopian at end of August and we will be going to Kidane Mehret to give your donations and see the smiles on the kids' faces.

Thank you for being apart of it!

Blessings,

Meseret, Biniyam, Melat and Martha