The “Children’s Village” is our base structure in Adwa, north of Ethiopia Tigray region, at about 1900 meters height, on the border with Eritrea. It started being operative in the beginning of 2005 and can host permanently up to 100 abandoned orphan children.
Two dwells have been built inside the Village so to face the periodical lack of water.
The water of the dwells allowed us to grow a green garden that provides vegetables and fruit for the needs of the Village (zucchini, cucumbers, different salads, eggplants, mangoes, papayas, bananas, oranges, etc.)
For what concerns the rest of the food like meat, chicken, eggs, potatoes, rice, flour, sugar, etc) we refer either to our “working groups” or to local shops and Saturday market.
The Village also has two electric generators to face the frequent lacks of electricity.
Two jeeps, one of which is also used as an ambulance when needed, guarantee the possibility to move people and materials.
We also built a canteen where all the children can eat together so to make of their meals an occasion of meeting and sharing.
In this way we can also check their food, prepare daily menus and guarantee the necessary variety of food.
Always inside the Village we built a stable with two cows that provide daily fresh milk for all the children.
The Village has a wall all around as a protection from animals, in particular hyenas; to guarantee integrated safety as required by the local authorities, there are armed guards 24 hours a day.
More than 50 people work in the Village, guardians, drivers, teachers, coordination staff.
In this way the Village can consistently contribute to support and develop the local economy, through the people employed and through all the needs connected to its management and coordination and the consequent purchase of goods and services.
THE HOSPITALITY FOR ORPHAN CHILDREN
In Ethiopia there are many orphans for the most different reasons, among which the death of both parents because of Aids, or just of the mother previously abandoned by the husband. Both Aids and Tuberculosis make many victims.
The phenomenon is also connected to the high mortality of women in childbirth (1 on 9) usually caused by infection due to total lack of hygienic conditions.
In the villages totally isolated in the mountains, made just by a few huts far from the most important centers, the situation is even more dramatic and the lack of breast feeding often means the death of the baby.
When the parents die, even very young children must provide to their own survival because relatives are usually either far away or cannot take care of them because of the many children already present in the family. It is very common therefore to find families where a boy or a girl of about 10 or 11 years is the head of the family and looks after the younger ones.
Many little girls, 5 or 6 years old are often accepted in some family where they work as little servants to help in the house.
Considering their young age these experiences mark them for the rest of their lives.
Sometimes they can be taken by some old beggar to look after the house, prepare the food, go and take the water and help them in begging as the presence of a child usually moves people to give more.
The “Village” thought to face these situations, is a stable structure that wants to welcome and give permanent hospitality to the abandoned orphan children for whom it becomes a real “paradise” that rescues them from dramatic situations.
Often the children are brought to us by the local police who receive them by someone who found them abandoned in some place.
Sometimes the father himself brings the child to us after the mother died during the labour.
The “Village” is made of 16 homes in each one family groups of 6/8 children are accommodated, for a total of 100/120 children. Every family group has a local woman chosen by us, who looks after the children as a “nanny”.
We then have a little house used as “nursery” for newborn children where two women work permanently taking care of these little ones.