Addis Ababa, Ethiopia




 Aleltu Village School Land




Aleltu Village School Building

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Origins of ECF

The early origins of ECF lie in a mission that founder Anna Getaneh undertook in 1992 to visit refugee camps on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya. During the visit, after many years away from her homeland, she could not rationalize away the sad plight of the extremely disadvantaged children whom she met that unforgettable first trip back to the region. Unable to turn her back to the silent cries and despair, she resolved to get involved and make a real difference. Anna organized an international group of committed friends, individuals and set in motion the beginnings of ECF.

After several fund raising activities, assistance was provided between 1993-6 to existing organizations in Ethiopia. Thereafter, in 1997, ECF was registered as an independent NGO in Ethiopia. This led to ECF’s first project: the conception, construction and establishment of the ECF Village – Education & Development Program in Aleltu – ECF-EDP.

ECF-EDP was established on 37 acres (15 Hectares) of land adjacent to the village of Aleltu, located 55 kilometers from Addis Ababa. The contrast of our capital is not unlike other parts of the world. We chose Aleltu – a part of Berehe-Aleltu Woreda has a population of 150,600 – due to its deprivation and poverty. The main stay of the population is agriculture: predominantly crop production and animal rearing. Gender disparities are high in the area, with low female school participation. Other factors that hinder children from going to school: school distance from home, the need for child work in the home economy, direct educational costs and negative cultural perspectives on childhood.

Aleltu has virtually no public or private investment. There is one elementary school shared by several communities, but it is overcrowded and highly inadequate. Approximately 65% of the children in the area have no access to primary education. Less than 1% of the child population participates in pre-school or early childhood development programs. There is only one small clinic, also highly inadquate, and out of reach for the majority. The site is rural, but not too far from the city of Addis Ababa, and allows for regular interaction between the program and its benefactors and monitors, who are based in Addis Ababa or internationally.

ECF was established to help eliminate some of the deprivations in Aleltu. In 1998, twenty students were enrolled. Today, ECF has reached an unprecedented 347 children, from Kindergarten to Seventh Grade, between the ages of 4 and 14 with complete gender equality. ECF will enroll an additional 35-40 students annually until the initial goal of 500 students is reached.