Reaching Out to Street Children in Ethiopia

Meet Ermias. Ermias comes from a very poor family in rural Ethiopia. His father passed away when he was very young. His mother had four children to support and couldn't afford to pay Ermias' school fees, so he had no option but to drop out of school. With no work to be had and therefore no money to be made in his poor village, Ermias decided to leave his home in search of a better life. He made his way to the capital city of Addis Ababa, where he hoped that he could find a job and make enough money to help his mother and siblings.

Ermias didn't find work in Addis Ababa, but he did find Retrak. At the Retrak clubhouse, Ermias was provided with a good meal and a safe place to sleep. In counseling sessions with a Retrak social worker, he expressed a keen interest in a vocational skills training program. Retrak helped him secure a place in a tailoring training program. He successfully completed his training and is now employed by a private garment company.

Ernias is now eighteen years old. He's gainfully employed and earning enough money that he can support not only himself, but also his mother and siblings. In the future he wants to open his own workshop and create job opportunities for other young people from his village.

With your help, Ermias has found a way off of the streets and back to his family and community. On behalf of Ermias and the other children in our program, thank you for your support.