Why the SFCC Program?

St. Francis Children's Care Organization (Addis Hope) believes that poverty is not a linear issue which can be defined using simple measures such as consumption and expenditure or lack of basic necessities. Experience shows that issues directly associated with poverty and marginalization go beyond income and expenditure. Social divisions and cultural impediments such as gender, age and class all lead to disempowerment and social injustice, and must be considered in the design of effective strategies to address poverty.

The magnitude of poverty in Ethiopia is enormous, affecting millions of people. In the 2002 statistics of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Ethiopia ranked 168 out of 173 countries with a per capita income of USD $89.2. According to the World Bank, 31.3 % of the population lives on $ 1.00 per day. Effective governance and appropriate policies that unfold people's potentials can bring meaningful change in the existing poverty scenario.

But poverty at household level is about the basics: food, shelter, clothing, access to health, education, clean water and other social services. It is expressed in terms of powerlessness, low self-esteem, lack of confidence and isolation. It is clear that there is a huge gap between the needs of the people and the government's capacity to address them. This calls for collaborative and concerted efforts by development actors including Non-Governmental Organizations, bilateral and multilateral institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector.

HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POOR

Generally with large family size and high dependency ratio, poor households are characterized by the inability to meet daily needs. They have less education, younger household heads, and are more often female-headed. Conversely, research has shown that households with substantial land, male-headed households, households whose heads are younger or have more education and especially those who are closer to good infrastructure, have a much better chance to move out or stay out of poverty.

A clear relationship can be observed between access to education and health services and the economic status of the family. School enrolment ratios for the poor are consistently lower than for the non-poor, resulting in 83% and 65% illiteracy among rural and urban respectively. The effect of poor health hampers full participation in productive processes. Studies show that only one in three of the poorest people go for medical assistance and an extremely low number use private health facilities. Malnutrition, higher rate of morbidity and mortality, wastage of working days, overall poor health and sanitation and poor housing are important attributes of poor people.

SFCCO understands that gender imbalances are more related with power relations emanating from the socio-cultural set up within society than simple economic status or variation in access to basic social services. Ethiopian society, predominantly patriarchal with property and resources owned and controlled by men, has a profound influence on the overall position of women, their rights and voice in their own life and that of their family. The norms and values which have been internalized through a process of socialization from generation to generation contribute significantly to such inequalities. Therefore, the issue of gender is not only the problem of disparities in basic needs and services but, more importantly, challenges the fundamental socio-cultural and political injustices which perpetuate women's vulnerability and oppression.

Ethiopian women constitute a larger proportion of the labor force, especially in rural areas where their role in farm activities is substantial. A recent poverty assessment made at national level indicated that 43% and 20% of households, respectively, in urban and rural areas are female-headed. Looking at major human development indicators such as health, education and employment, women fare the worst. For instance in urban Ethiopia, where wages and salaries substitute agriculture as a source of livelihood, only 26% of women earn their living from employment, in contrast to 43% for men. With close to 94% illiteracy, women's share in key government and professional positions reflects a similar picture. Only 2.4% of the seats in Parliament are held by women. Women professionals, managers, administrators and technical workers constituted less than 0.3% of the total. The potential contribution of women to Ethiopian society remains untapped and represents a major missed opportunity.

All those who are associated with Addis Hope subscribe to the vision that as Christians dedicated to witnessing the Gospel value of defending the right to life of the weakest among us, we must also be equally visible in defending the quality of life of the powerless among us. Through its programs for street women and their children, Addis Hope aims to empower the powerless.

VISION

The vision of the St. Francis Children's Care Program (SFCCP) is to break the generational cycle of poverty passed down from the destitute women of Addis to their pre-school children through rehabilitation programs that address the issues of their impoverishment.

SFCCP CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

THE CHILDREN

The children of SFCCP have three things in common. Many are children of abandoned, destitute women, many of whom were forced to leave their villages after having been raped - a classic case of "blaming the victim". All the children are preschoolers as young as four, none older than nine. All have mothers who are committed to leaving the streets and, with assistance, taking the first steps toward earning enough to supply the basic needs of their children and themselves. These are the children of SFCCP, the boys and girls who need to be rescued, who need to be protected from the negative influences of street life in Addis Ababa. They are the future.

Sponsorship:

Because many of our friends would like to personalize their donation to the program, we are including the photo and background of the children to be helped.

Click Here to Meet and Sponsor Some Special Children

THE SCHOOL DAY

The children of the SFCCP thrive in a pre-school environment where their day is a mix of learning and play, very much like that of preschoolers elsewhere. A significant difference is that for most of these children, a day at SFCCP keeps them out of harm's way and provides them with a nutritional meal, perhaps their only meal of the day.

The children are taught Amharic (the national language), English, Mathematics and Morals (Ethics). Like preschoolers everywhere, they revel in the pleasures of singing and dancing. All of this is in stark contrast to the days of aimlessly passing time in the streets of Addis Ababa.

Click Here to Meet the Children

THE SFCCP CENTERS

There are two SFCCP centers located in areas of the city that are populated with street women. Each center is a small, single room facility that has been provided to the program by the local authorities who recognize the value of the program to the community in protecting preschoolers from the dangers of street life and providing them with the possibility of a meaningful, productive future. On any given day there are approximately 55 children in each center - divided into morning and afternoon sessions. They learn for one year before entering the public school system. This one year is extremely important because it provides a "level playing field" when the children of SFCCP mix with those in the public school system who have had more advantages.

THE SFCCP STAFF

Each center currently has a staff of three to care for its 55 children. Because the mothers have even younger children to care for, one staff woman is responsible for picking up the children and getting them to the center, preparing a basic meal for them, cleaning up and delivering the children back to their mothers. The other two staff are classroom teachers who provide the instruction and supervise the children in play activities of song and dance.

Click here to meet the Staff

THE MOTHERS' PROGRAM

The mothers are selected for the SFCCP program on the basis of their sincerity in wanting to quit street life. Most often, mothers already in the program are those who recommend others whom they know to be sincere.

Each mother is consulted about what she thinks a small grant will allow her to do. A surprisingly large number of these women already have entrepreneurial skills and just require a small grant to get them started. Other women are provided with skills training in areas in which they feel they can be successful. All the women are required to open a bank account into which they must deposit at least ten Ethiopian dollars a month. For almost all these mothers, it is the first time they have ever been inside a bank, much less have an account. It is a wonder to them to see the amount of money they can save.

Click here to learn more about the Mothers' Program

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Recognizing that SFCCP is part of the community at large, there is an effort to involve the community in whatever celebrations are sponsored by SFCCP, such as Religious and National holidays. Local authorities have been happy to attend these celebrations and are fulsome in their praise of the program. The neighborhood Chairman is also happy to attend and speak at the graduation ceremonies of the preschoolers all decked out in their miniature caps and gowns.

Local street boys have been provided with uniforms and equipment and organized into a football league, the winners of which receive small trophies. In return, they participate in all the festivities, some showing surprising musical talent. They also "police" the area at the end of the festivities - no pun intended.