Flash
The United Nations describes Africa as "a continent of orphans." HIV and AIDS, malaria and famine have all played their part in a deathly drama which has killed more than 21 million people, including four million children. In Ethiopia alone, more than 11 per cent of all children are orphans.
Tesfu was orphaned at the age of 4 after his parents passed away due to AIDS. Tigist’s tragedy started with the demise of her parents from TB at age 10. This situation is typical of the type of orphans we support. The problem is a significant one with only 10% of orphans receiving basic care and less than 30% able even to attend school. These children have no one to give them support which is crucial to a orphans in Ethiopia development - things that orphaned children should take for granted such as education, healthcare, shelter, emotional support, love and knowing their future is bright.
Beyond the Orphanage was formed in 2007 by a group of dedicated volunteers who saw first hand in Addis Ababa the plight of Ethiopian orphans. Since then, the team has made it their life's mission to support and educate orphaned children.
Beyond the orphanage runs a development program for orphans who have no other means of support. The children supported by BTO range in age from ten to eighteen years. The organisation in conjunction with partnerships, their guardians and the community provide a secure family home for the children with an extended family member, such as an aunt, older sibling or grandparent. If there are no living relatives able help support an orphaned child or adopt and Ethiopian orphan, Beyond the Orphanage provides a carefully chosen guardian to support and educate the orphaned child. We meet each orphans need for food, shelter, clothes, education and healthcare. We also provide psychological support and find places for the orphans in local schools to support the orphaned child whilst all the time helping the orphan reach their maximum potential and become independent adults.
More recently we have also expanded our focus after visiting an extremely poor, malaria affected area in the South of Ethiopia. We are currently raising money to help complete a school for the local area to provide education for Ethiopian children and to help them help their community.
About The Children Background The United Nations describes Africa as “a continent of orphans.” HIV/AIDS, malaria, and famine have each played a role in the ever increasing numbers of orphans in Africa, Asia, and other developing countries. In Ethiopia alone, more than 11 percent of all children are orphans and the majority of them are between the ages of 12 and 17. These young orphans living on the streets because of limited room in orphanages and overwhelmed extended families and communities. The orphaned children are vulnerable to health risks, violence, exploitation, and discrimination. They have limited access to food, shelter, healthcare, and education and it should be noted that half of HIV infections occur among young people aged 15-24 years of age. When the actual number of orphans should be declining due to improvements in healthcare and nutrition, the numbers are rising because of the continued challenges associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its negative impact on the communities most affected by it. These challenges will continue to impact orphans, adolescents, their communities, and their countries unless successful interventions that pay attention to the developmental differences of adolescents are successfully implemented. “Children on the Brink, 2004,” by UNAIDS and UNICEF analysts, reports that “After losing parents and caregivers, orphans have an even greater need for stability, care, and protection. Family capacity—whether the head of household is a widowed parent, an elderly grandparent, or a young person—represents the single most important factor in building a protective environment for orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS and other causes.”
Selection of the children With the overwhelming statistics outlined above, it is very difficult to select children to be included in the program. We have no bias based on health, education or background but we do have some basic criteria for inclusion : • All children must be between 10 years and 18 years and within primary education. Once the child leaves school there is a transition program out of the program to enable them to become self supporting. • The child must be a double orphan
Government involvement in the program In order to find the orphans to be included in the program we work with the local government who provide a list of eligible Ethiopian orphans based on the criteria above. Ideally we look to place the orphan with a member of their extended family but if this is not possible we will look to identify another suitable guardian.
How BTO has made a difference By Workenhe (who has been in BTO since the start) Before I got into Beyond the Orphanage, I lived with my orphaned brother Yismalem Hailu in an orphanage. It had been our home for many years but the care was eventually phased out.
It really felt like a home to us having lost our parents and we were frightened to leave and scared about what would happen to us.
You can't imagine how we felt, two orphans and no longer with a place to live. We felt all alone and unwanted and could not imagine our future. My aunt tried to take responsibility for us but she was very poor and had bad living conditions. It was hard for her. She took us to the school and when I started to tell my story to the headmaster, he took me to a place called Kidane Mehret Children's Home in 2006.
Kidane Mehret’s principle is an incredible, kind-hearted woman called Sister Lutgarda. She told me and my brother to come and eat all our meals there every day. This became the foundation for our lives and I now regard Sister Lutgarda as my second mother. After two years, I got into BTO which has changed my life totally. I am so grateful for Sister Lutgarda’s help and introducing me to Beyond the Orphanage.
Now my sorrow has turned to happiness. I have everything I could ever want or need. Beyond the Orphanage gives me a food allowance; school materials, takes care of my health, and we even celebrate public/national holidays together. Beyond the Orphanage even furnishes my home – changing it from being cold and damp and very uncomfortable to a beautiful palace which I could never have imagined. Now I can focus on my education.
Thank you for all your kindness and support Beyond the Orphanage to support orphans. Your love means more than anything for me and for all of us Thank you to all staff - I love what I have and I respect all staff and rules of Beyond the Orphanage. I can promise to all that I will study hard, get into university and take the highest position in the country and work with Beyond the Orphanage.This is my vision. In Ethiopia, the odds are stacked against children. The country ranks as one of the largest populations of orphans in the world: 13 per cent of children are missing one or both parents. This equates to around 5.6 million orphans - 800,000 of which were orphaned by AIDS and are AIDS orphans. The orphaned children are also at risk of other perils. Famine, conflict, periodic droughts, food insecurity and other diseases are all threats that have claimed the lives of parents. What it all buckles down to however is that Ethiopia is a desperately poor country.
Despite being the second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa, its per capita income, at just $US220, is much lower than the average. Typically, half of all HIV-infected people contract the disease before the age of 25, developing AIDS and dying by the time they reach 35.This leaves behind a generation of orphaned children - often referred to as the lost generation - who are raised by grandparents, other adult relatives or left on their own in child-headed households.
The loss of a parent to AIDS or other diseases and hazards can have severe ramifications for an orphan’s access to basic needs such as shelter, food, health, education and clothing. Orphans are more likely to live in large, female-headed households where a large number of family members are dependent on fewer income earners. This shortage of income places additional pressure on orphans to contribute financially to the household, at times forcing them to work on the streets, where they can beg or seek food. Street children are vulnerable to exploitation, including sexual abuse. Responsibility for performing housework, caring for siblings and the remaining ill or dying parent is also common. Orphans lack access to basic rights such as education, psychological support and supervision. At present, there is an acute shortage of government services assisting orphans. As a result, the main coping mechanism has been the extended family. But the ability of extended family members to support increasing numbers of orphans is being tested. AIDs is orphaning children so rapidly that their families can no longer cope.In this poverty ridden country, families have a hard enough time coping for themselves, without the added pressure of caring for an orphan. Children whose parents are HIV-infected often suffer deterioration in care and support, including emotionally negative changes in their lives. They can start to suffer neglect long before they are orphaned. After enduring the death of their parent, they are then forced to cope with a new living arrangement, with frequently insufficient support.
Anxiety, depression and anger were found to be more common among AIDS orphans than other children. These psychological problems can become more severe if a child is forced to separate from their siblings upon becoming orphaned. Children orphaned may forego proper schooling, or have their education interrupted or underperform in school. They are also stigmatised by their association with AIDs.
Our commitment to protect children Our values, principles and beliefs
Our duty of care is to provide orphans with a level of protection against harm and all foreseeable risk.
We are very aware that child abuse includes: • Physical • Sexual • Emotional • Neglect • Bullying • Child labour; and • Domestic violence
We are specifically focused on the orphans who we have taken every measure to minimize any potential risk, as reflected in our high level of caution with placement of all children. We recognise the potential risk and BTO proactively interview prospective guardians, which includes home visits.
Beyond the Orphanage’s CPP demonstrates our commitment to protect children from harm and abuse.
Beyond the Orphanage abides by principles of the ACFID Code of Conduct and adheres to local and international child protection criminal laws.
Beyond the Orphanage believes that any form of child abuse is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Beyond the Orphanage fully recognizes its duty of care and proactively takes measures to ensure protective services and environment, taking all reasonable steps to ensure children are safe from harm.
Beyond the Orphanage bases all decisions regarding the welfare of children on the “Best Interests of the Child’ and (as per UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989)) shall take all measure to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child’s parents, legal guardians, or family members article 2.2.
Beyond the Orphanage’s CPP is important for raising the level of awareness of child protection for all staff, volunteers and members through training opportunities.
Adherence to the CPP is mandatory for all Beyond the Orphanage staff and BTO ensures all staff are aware of the CPP and their related responsibilities.
BTO was established in 2007 by Geoffrey Hucker an Australian pilot, who had volunteered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over many years, assisting and supporting Kidane Mehret Children's home which is a home for orphaned children.
Geoff with his work as an Airline captain has been fortunate to visit many parts of the world but was deeply touched by the plight of the African orphans especially in Ethiopia.
Through helping individual children himself, he realised that through some basic support, love and guidance you could make a significant impact to a child's life and give them hope for the future. Over time, he decided to formalise this and gain other support from sponsors to assist more children. From this small beginning, Beyond the Orphanage was born.
Additionally Beyond the Orphanage Ethiopia has a strong partnership with the local government who work with us to provide eligible children for the program and also with the Kidane Mehret orphanage who provide guidance and support.
These links to the community are critical for the success of the organisation and form part of our governance model reflected in our policies and practices.