MISSION:

  1. Keeping all parts of the program absolutely free to those in need
  2. After-school lunch 
  3. Maintaining a 3:1 student to teacher ratio
  4. Monthly contact and visit with the school 
  5. Bi-weekly counseling sessions for both students and parents
  6. Conquering goals to eradicate human trafficking
    1. Tailored goals for each family and their specific needs
  7. Promoting sustainable lifestyles by encouraging independency, trauma support, and counseling 

Long Term Goals:

  1. Providing stable and quality after school care
  2. English prep
  3. Providing daily after school meals
  4. Housing/rental supplement
    1. Provided for those willing to leave the lifestyle of prostitution.
  5. Educational supplement
    1. School tuition supplement
    2. Uniforms, school supplies and shoes
    3. Lunch and breakfast support
  6. Bi-weekly counseling & social/emotional learning
    1. Parents:
      1. Setting goals to transition out of prostitution as well as maintaining stability
      2. Trauma based counseling
      3. Job training & employment search
    2. Children:
      1. ​Combating the impact of low income + adverse childhood and trauma
      2. Afforded every opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, and cognitively to maximize their potential.
  7. Monthly food stipend 
    1. Based on family size 
  8. Monthly wellness day
    1. One day per month recognize and celebrate progression. This could be a field day at a park, eating out at a restaurant, museum visit, etc.

OVERVIEW:

Imagine offering the amount paid for a cup of coffee in exchange for a week’s worth of slavery. Dear Ethiopia started an After School program in 2017 specifically helping two individuals Emabet & Mekdes and their two families. With huge success we would like to expand and offer this opportunity to other girls. Debre Zeyit is a little over 25 miles from the main capital Addis Ababa which is a black hole for international human trafficking. Westerners can come and pay as little as what's equivalent to a couple U.S dollars, to have a girl overnight for even a few days in some areas. We are not only helping young girls with this After School Program, but we provide counseling and support to their mother's bi-monthly.
Dear Ethiopia has many plans to combat the harmful domino effect of human trafficking including an free after-school program for children who are living in the brothel. Our goal is not only to help them during these difficult circumstances, but also to help transition families out. This after-school program will be a year long program providing homework help, tutoring service, English lessons and counseling to the children, and parents most affected by these tragedies. In addition to the educational support, Dear Ethiopia also has been providing after school meals, emergency support, rent/housing support, and other foods, clothes, back to school materials as our resources allow.

In 2017, while meeting with some of the women engaging in prostitution they also disclosed that some of their children went all  school day without food. They also had a fear of their children repeating the cycle of prostitution. Children are not supervised while mother's are servicing their johns and often exposed to seeing the behaviors. In order to best serve this population, Dear Ethiopia is tackling the younger generation and ending the cycle. Our dream long term goal is to provide housing, training and relocation for sustainable living to the women who have unfortunately resorted to engaging in prostitution. Dear Ethiopia’s after school program is taking one step closer in achieving that goal, by protecting the most innocent, impressionable lives--the children. 

Thankfully, Zion Church has granted us the opportunity to use one of their classrooms with no additional charge. Our first goal was to renovate the room, and you can read about the details in this blog post by clicking HERE.  Our next goal is providing secure salaries for the tutors and counselors (approx $50 a month for tutors, and $50 for counselors).

Basic Monthly Budget:
1 usd =45 ETB (Ethiopian Birr)

  • Tutoring​ Salary: 1500 EBT ≈ $33
  • Counselor's Salary: 2500 EBT ≈ $56
  • Rent for one household: 900 EBT ≈ $20 *this is literally the most basic of basic homes, 2 total rooms for everything
  • Family's Transportation: 100 EBT ≈ $2.25 *to and from each session. Sometimes during sessions run late and a taxi (at a higher fee) is needed to take them home for safety reasons.
  • After school Meals (two girls, once a week): 1,200 EBT ≈ $26.66
  • Sunday Family Meals (7 people, twice a month): 1,120 EBT ≈ $24.90
  • Calling Cards: 450 EBT ≈  $10 
  • Total Monthly Budget: 7,770 EBT  ​≈ $173​

Other In-Country Expenses:

Amazon Wish List:
  • Shoes: 400 EBT ≈ $8.90
  • ​Bookbag (1): 900 EBT ≈ $20
  • Food Expenses: TBD
  • Toys + Prizes: TBD
Please check out our amazon wish list. During our visits to Ethiopia, we would like to bless the program participants and others.