Bahir Dar Foundation
What we do
At the moment the Foundation's resourses are largely devoted in providing full funding to the orphan and vulnerable children in Ethiopia.
One of the Directors of the Foundation visites the Child Care Centers regularly and makes closer contact with the Center directors.
One of the largest Centers funded by the Foundation is the Bahir Dar Child Care Center. Bahir Dar Child Care Center (BDCCC, or Center) is one entity under the umbrella of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Child and Family Affairs Organization. BDCCC is located 540km northwest of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The Centre was established in 1980 to give famine stricken children and orphans a new home and opportunities. One of the Directors of the Foundation had the opportunity to use the Center's facilty while he was at school age. BDCCC is a non-governmental tax free entity.
The Center has been operating successfully for the past 34 years and currently hosts 140 children between 7 and 18 years old who are orphaned, abandoned, whose parents are terminally ill or mentally incapacitated, or who come from a destitute family.
The BDCCC is located on 36,000 square meters of land free of any mortgage or lease payments, and has reliable water supply, electric power, and telephone connections. The building housing the dormitories (including 8 washrooms), is capable of hosting up to 90 children and also features a kitchen and dining room. A separate administrative office for record keeping, counseling and food storage is also on the premises.
The Center caters to the children’s basic needs, provides food, shelter, and clothing, and promotes their physical, mental, and emotional growth. The Center aims to enable orphans and vulnerable children to develop to their full potential, and is committed to support the children until they complete their high school education.
In the past, the Center’s funding had been provided by charitable organizations such as Kindernothilfe (Germany) and Support Ethiopian Children Association (Greece); however, this funding has completely ceased in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
The cost for 1 child to stay at the BDCCC during the school year 2013-2014 is only US$600, or US$50/month.