OUR MISSION
For Abebech Gobena, founder of The Abebech Orphanage, it all began during those horrible years of famine and drought in the early eighties in Wollo (one of the drought affected areas in northern Ethiopia). It was a time of terrible tragedy, where scores of children were orphaned daily. In response, Abebech began saving these children one by one, an effort which increased year after year and eventually culminated in the establishment of an orphanage in her name.
Over the past two decades, with the relentless efforts of Abebech, dedicated staff and the generous support of humanitarian organizations and individuals, the Abebech Orphanage located in Addis Ababa has made tremendous progress. It now provides:

OUR WORK
Our volunteers will design and facilitate an English as a Second Language day camp. The day camp offers a combination of in-class lessons, crafts, games and sports. All learning involves interactive activities and much needed individual attention.
Our project will call upon your enthusiasm and willingness to assist in a well-guided and contained environment. Working teams will be established, and activities will be clearly outlined and coordinated on a daily basis. No specific previous experience is required, however, willingness to work in teams, to deal with infants, children and the severely ill and to live and operate in spartan conditions is critical to success in one of the poorest countries in the world.

ACCOMODATIONS
Participants will be housed in central Addis in a small, clean and safe hotel within easy walking distance of all things we want to do and see. Rooms accommodate two volunteers and have private facilities.
Local transportation is available from the hotel to the orphanage.

RECREATION AND FREE TIME
Our work is intense and relaxation is important to this sustained effort. During the evenings and weekends we will enjoy the buzz and history of Addis Ababa. At the mid-point of our stay, we will have the opportunity to take an optional three day trip into the Simien Mountains and undertake what is one of the world’s most extraordinary hikes.

HEALTH
Addis Ababa is located above the malarial zones and is not afflicted by many of the tropical diseases of the lowland areas.
Medication and vaccinations are a very personal matter and often a personal choice. For this reason we suggest that you contact a travel medicine clinic should you have any questions relating to vaccination requirements. A list of travel medical clinics can be found in the link below.

SAFETY AND SECURITY
The safety and security of our volunteers is our most important priority. We have been operating these projects in these venues very safely for many years and we continuously monitor event changes and react accordingly. We provide day to day supervision both during and after work and in the evenings. If we feel that a location has become unsafe, we will shift the program to a secure area or refund the volunteer fees.
Deeply Christian, Addis is safe and well away from unstable regions in either Ethiopia or the Sudan.

AGES
Participants must be between 16 and 25 years of age as of December 31, 2008.

DATES AND FEES
Departing from Toronto		Dates
3 1/2 weeks	$5,695 CAD ($2,500 of the above fee is for flight and accommodation and is invoiced through our travel agent.)	July 2 to 26, 2008 (25 days)