Addis Ababa Launches Trust Fund for the Rehabilitation of Street Children – New Business Ethiopia

Launched by Mayor Takele Umma, the Addis Ababa city administration has launched a trust fund to be used for the rehabilitation of street children in the city.

In recent years, it has become commonplace to observe street children in the main cities of Ethiopia, mainly in Addis Ababa. The city's new trust fund plans to include at least 5,000 street children in rehabilitation centers.

It is estimated that in Addis Ababa more than 60,000 people live on the street, mostly children. Most of these children would be exposed to various health problems, such as drug addiction and crimes such as rape.

Thirteen years ago, Ethiopia's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs estimated that 150,000 children were living on the streets, although some say the government's estimate is conservative.

The aid agencies estimate that the problem could be much more serious, with nearly 600,000 street children across the country and more than 100,000 in Addis Ababa. Reports show that in Ethiopia, more than one million children are already orphaned because of HIV / AIDS.

The Administration has allocated a seed budget of Birr 60 million (over $ 2.1 million) to its budget. The trust fund also plans to mobilize funds from multiple sources, including SMS messaging and other fundraising opportunities.

Tewodros Kbadahun, aka Teddy Afro, a famous Ethiopian singer who also attended the fund-launching ceremony on Saturday, said he will hold a music concert soon to raise funds for the program.

Since Mayor Takele Umma took office about seven months ago, the city administration of Addis Ababa has shown compbadion to cope with the burden of the low-income population of the city.

Following the call of reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a trust fund for the Ethiopian diaspora was launched a few months ago. The Fund aims to raise at least one dollar a day from every Ethiopian in the diaspora.

The money should be used for projects that aim to finance people who do not have access to basic services, mainly in rural areas. It is estimated that there are nearly three million Ethiopians in the diaspora, the majority of whom are found in North America, Europe and South Africa.