CONCEPT PAPER FOR

ANGELS CHILDREN'S HOME PROJECT

Contact person: Monica Tonna-Barthet

Kidane Mihret Catholic Church Addis Ababa

Tel: 251 0911 336872

e-mail: ticcatic@yahoo.com

I. Background and Justification.

Ethiopia is one of the ancient countries in the world with rich cultural and historical heritages. The country is also endowed with many natural resources that can be used to develop the country. Despite this, however, the country is facing challenges in all sectors political, social and economic.

Different studies have revealed that more than 50% of Ethiopia’s population lives below the poverty line. And all the sectors of the society, women and children, are the most affected by the consequences of socio-economic problems.

The highly spreading HIV/AIDS pandemic has further aggravated the socio economic problem of the country. The fifth and the most recent report on “AIDS in Ethiopia gave the following picture on the situation. The estimated national adult HIV prevalence in 2003 is about 4.4 %( 12.6% urban and 2.6% rural). The cumulative number of people living with HIV/AIDS is about 1.5 million. The estimated number of new AIDS cases in the adult population in 2003 was 98,000(46% male and 54% female and the number of children was 25,000. Also some 25,000 children died of AIDS also in 2003. There were an estimated 539,000 AIDS orphans in 2003.

The problem of Street vulnerable/ children in Ethiopia

The growth of street children in urban centers has become one of the major social problems. The number of street/vulnerable children in Ethiopia is increasing. from time to time. The prevalence of the problem is more pronounced in Addis Ababa than other urban centers of Ethiopia. Different studies made by different organizations in the past show that the total number of street children in the country is estimated between 100,000-200,000 and the largest proportions of estimated children are located in Addis Ababa which is estimated between 60,000 to 100,000. This estimate does not include the ever increasing orphan children who have lost one or both of their parents due to HIV/AIDS. In Addis Ababa the number of orphans due to HIV/AIDS has reached to 250,000. This number is expected to increase since HIV/AIDS is still claiming the lives of many parents making the children vulnerable to psycho-social and economic problems.

Different studies have revealed that the underlying cause for the problem of street children in Ethiopia is greatly attributed to the deep rooted poverty in the country including Addis Ababa. In addition to poverty other factors have also contributed for the increase in the number of street children in the country. These include:

- Erosion of social and cultural support (loose social bondage and change in the traditional values of support.

- Weakening of coping mechanisms and dependency syndrome

- Separation/death of parents and loose family network system

- Displacement of people due to conflict and war.

- Spread of HIV/AIDS

- Lack of job and employment opportunities.

- Disaster, drought and famine in the rural areas forcing many people with their children to migrate to the urban centers.

In general street children are exposed to a number of undesirable socio-economic problems. Among others they have problems:

- to fulfill their basic survival needs such as food, shelter, and clothes, medical care which in turn leads them to poor health, physical well being.

- Loneliness, frustration and hopelessness which leads them to have self-defeating habits such as alcohol and drug abuse etc

- Lack of dignity for their life and clear direction for their life which forces them to indulge in an undesirable way of living including committing crime and getting involved in violence and conflict with other people etc

If we see the intervention being undertaken by all concerned in light of the magnitude of the problem we find that still a lot of effort need to be exerted to tackle the problem.

One can still see quite a number of children in the street of Addis without any care, shelter, food and clothing. Many are engaged in begging and undesirable acts (like theft) and while others are engaged in casual work and petty trade activities to get their daily bread. Those who are affected by different illnesses and disabilities are leading a difficult life without getting proper care and support.

It is in view of responding to this critical problem in Addis Ababa that the Angels Children's Home Project has been initiated. The project aims at creating a nurturing environment in which the children will grow up together as united family where they can experience love, friendship, discipline, gain their dignity. The center will also address the physiological and psychological needs as well as giving the children a sound educational background in order to equip them with skills and empower them to sustain themselves when they reach the age of leaving the center and thus saving them from the vicious circle of poverty.

II. Project Objectives

The project has the following objectives:

1. Equip the Angels Children's Home with the necessary equipment and facilities and manpower so that the center will provide the intended services for the children.

2. To provide institutional care and support for 20-30 children at a time by way of fulfilling their survival needs which includes food, shelter, clothes, medication.

3. To provide basic education and skill training both at the center and regular schools with a view to equip them with adequate skills and education to sustain their living when they leave the center.

4. To provide psychological support, counseling services and ethics education and create a conducive environment to enable them come out of their loneliness, frustration and hopelessness so that they will be able to see their future life with hope, dignity and eventually making them active and responsible citizens of the country.

5. To reintegrate those children who have families or close relatives after they have completed the rehabilitative stage at the Angels Home.

III. Major Project activities.

In order to realize the intended objectives of the project the following

major activities are planned to be undertaken.

- Signing project agreement with the concerned government offices.

- Procurement of equipment, furniture and facilities.

- Recruitment of the required project staff.

- Identification of the beneficiary street children.

- Provision of food, shelter, clothing and medical care.

- Provision of formal and informal education, skill training and agriculture.

- Rendering guidance and counseling service and emotional support.

- Providing recreational activities.

IV. Project Description.

Location: Angels Children's Home is located in Addis Ababa,Gulelle Sub-city, Kebele 01 House number 144 . (Behind the French Embassy)

Beneficiaries. The project mainly targets boys from 6-16 years old and most of the children will come from Mother Teresa (Missionaries of Charity Sisters' Home). Most of these children were sick but cured after getting care and support in the Mother Teresa Home but have no place to go.

V. Project Input.

Manpower input: The project will employ the necessary manpower required to effectively and efficiently run the center. Among others it needs Project Coordinator, a Counselor, Social worker, and other support staff which include Accountant, driver, cooks, cleaners and guards. A total of 15 staff will be required to run the center.

Equipment and Furniture: The project will also require equipment and furniture to provide institutional care and support for the beneficiary children. These include dormitory facilities, dining furniture, Kitchen furniture, a vehicle, and educational/ studying furniture and recreational facilities.

Physical facilities: Angels Home will have its own building facilities the construction of which will be completed some time between March and April 2007. Most of the fund (75% - Birr 1, 500,000) required to construct the building has already been secured. What remains is the 25% cost for construction, and the fund required procuring the necessary equipment and furnishing the house with the required facilities. (Please refer the budget breakdown below)

VI. Organization and Management. The Angels Children's Home will be operated under the umbrella of the Ethiopian Catholic Church/ Archdiocese of Addis Ababa. It will operate under the guidance and the supervision of the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Coordinating Office of Addis Ababa (ECC-SDCO, A.A). While implementing the project it will closely work with the parish Church of Kebena Kidane Mihret Catholic Church. The day to day management and activities of the project will be the responsibility of the project coordinator. An advisory Committee which will be composed of the Project Administrator, representative of ECC-SDCO,A.A and the parish church and other volunteers who have adequate experience in this field will be set up and this committee will provide the necessary administrative and technical support.

The project will also work closely with the relevant government offices during the implementation of the project.

All the required periodic progress reports will be compiled and submitted to the government offices concerned and to the donor partners according to the specific project agreement which is to be signed for the project with the concerned government offices.

VII. Financial Requirement. The total financial input required to complete the construction and equip the center with the necessary facilities and cover the running expenses for the coming three years is estimated to be Birr 1,817,140 (Euro 173,060.90 ).

The breakdown is as follows:

- Construction (25%) Birr 500,000.00

- Equipment and furniture Birr 382,000.00

- Bamboo and metal work Birr 70,000.00

Recurrent expenses:

- Personnel Birr 464,200.00

- Utilities Birr 97,200.00

- Food Birr 162,000.00

- Medical expense Birr 18,000.00

- Clothes Birr 14,400.00

- Educational material Birr 18,000.00

- Miscellaneous Birr 5,000.00

- Contingency (5%) Birr 86,340.00

TOTAL: Birr 1,817,140.00

Exchange rate 1 Euro= Birr 10.5 = EURO

NOTE: For the construction which is estimated to be birr 2 million about birr 1,500,000(one million and five hundred thousand Birr) has been secured. What is requested is the cost required to complete the construction, which is Birr 500,000.-

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