Medhanialem Hitsanat Merja Mahiber (Holy Savior Children Helping Association) orphanage is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was founded in 2000 by Nigist Kebede. She remains the director today, caring for around 25 children at any one time. The vision of the orphanage is “to create or see an environment where children’s physical, psycho-social, and emotional needs are met and satisfied.” The mission is “to provide all the necessary support and follow up for the satisfaction of the needs until they are met.” The orphanage’s values and principles are empathy, mutual respect, integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Children come to the orphanage for many different reasons. Some, because their parents can no longer afford to care for them, many of the children’s parents have died for a variety of reasons and some are brought there as street children with very little understanding about the children’s background. In Ethiopia, there is no government support for orphan care. Therefore, the orphanages run completely on private funding and donations. Unlike many of the other orphanages in Ethiopia, Medhanialem is smaller and provides a family like atmosphere in which the ratio of nanny to child is quite high. The children range from age 17 to newborn babies. Children who are old enough to go to school attend local schools nearby and the children are also taught Bible, English and Art at the orphanage. Also, the orphanage desires to teach the children respect, love, and social interaction skills.
The orphanage is in need of upkeep and renovations. The physical plant is located in a residential area and was once a private home that has had little maintenance but is kept very clean. They are also in need of new mattresses, blankets, beds, toilets, and paint along with many other items. TEAM Restoration Ministries is partnering with Village to Village Intl. to assist this orphanage in the care of Ethiopian orphans.