Our Projects

Shelter Care

The Shamida Shelter provides a loving home for orphans and vulnerable children. We provide food, shelter, clothing, care and medical care, and transition children into foster-to-adopt placements. We believe that these babies/children deserve to be loved and cared for free from any harm or worries. These children are from all walks of life some as young as a few days old, some 15 years, many with special needs and some without. Currently, there are around 30 children living in this home as we aid in transitioning as many as possible into foster-to-adopt placements.

Collaboration at Government Institutions

Since 2022, Shamida has been collaborating with the Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children, and Social Affairs at the government orphanage, Kebebe Tsehay (KT). We signed the first-of-its-kind Public Private Partnership to support the government in two key areas: capacity building for the staff and medical support. The goal of this strategic partnership is to dramatically improve the health and safety of the approximately 300 children (ages 0-8) being cared for at KT year round.

In May 2024, we built and inaugurated a new industrial kitchen for the Juvenile Remand Center in an effort to provide more nutritious meals for the incarcerated juveniles. This includes two new storerooms, a dining area for the kids and staff bathrooms. Long term, our staff will be facilitating training for both staff and children, together with sports activities on the compound.

Women Empowerment

Shamida believes strongly in empowering and uplifting vulnerable women. This program aims to educate, train, and provide seed money for single mothers. Shamida provides clothes for the women and their children together with transport to and from the training. The goal of this program is to see these mothers become able to provide for their children. Without this program many of these women might otherwise abandon their children. While abandonment is a criminal offence in Ethiopia, we cannot imagine (especially from a mothers perspective) the grief and despair of being at the point when you felt there was no other option but to abandon your children and therefore try to prevent this through our women empowerment program.

Community Children Support

Shamida support community children under the age of 18 years. It is important to understand that these children are not orphans and live with their families. However, they live in very impoverished circumstances. Shamida provides education and medical support by paying for basic material and transportation allowance for these children when needed.