Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest nations according to GDP per capita, however its economic lacking is balanced with a family-centered kindness, an always open-door policy of welcoming people, a deep history with monuments world-renowned, and much more. The poverty however has brought problems upon its people, related to this is the spread of HIV, which has now orphaned nearly one-million children. Other sicknesses, such as TB and Malaria, the boarder conflict with Eritrea, and extreme poverty have orphaned an additional three million Ethiopian children.

In the midst of such overwhelming need, Artists For Charity (AFC) began a home for fifteen children who had not only been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS but are also living with the virus themselves. Although the need is great, they wanted care to remain optimal in a family-like setting, and have limited the number of children that will live in their house. With five staff and fifteen children, the care in this home is almost unparalleled. The children are eight years of age and older, all attend school, all receive the medications they need, and are a wonderfully happy bunch.

Working To Empower has joined with AFC in a partnership to help run this home, our goal for 2007 is to build a new house for our children, to date the house has been rented. The Ethiopian government is going to give the needed land, while many fundraising events will hope to fund the construction of our new home, such as the $1 Challenge program running in Canadian schools (see the link below for more information about the $1 Challenge program).

The following links will keep everyone interested in the project updated with new news. Each month we will try to post updates, photos, stories, and more. Please keep checking back here as new information will be posted below as links.