The Addis K'egn Children's Centre

There are many children in Bahir Dar who grow up without parents and a decent home life. While these children see education is as vitally important it is often difficult for them  to make it through to grade 10 (the equivalent of our GCSE year) as other priorities take over - making a little money to buy some food being one.

The Addis K'egn ('New Day' in Amharic) Children's Centre will open in July 2006. Its aim is to support a number of homeless children so that they are able to concentrate on their education without many of the worries that usually cause them to drop out of school.

The Children's Centre has a kitchen, teaching area, wash rooms, an office and a dining area. There are two bedrooms for the volunteers who will be resident at the centre. There is also a garden in which an outside teaching area will be built during our visit in July. The following staff will be working at the centre: Centre Manager - responsible of day to day running of the centre, monitoring and reporting Teacher - to support the learning of the group working closely with their school Cook - to provide 2 meals for the children each day, Monday to Friday

The children work a shift system at their school and will therefore either go to school in the morning or the afternoon. Either way they will come to the centre for lunch and have access to the centre while they are not at school. During this time activities will be organised for the group to support their school education and they will have access to a learning area with books and stationary. Additional time will also be given to teach the children skills such as general looking after themselves, gardening and cooking. In the evening the children will attend another school for the 'homework club' - an evening provision run by the local Catholic School. They will then return for an evening meal at the centre.

The Centre will work very closely with the school to make sure that each of the students are attending and making progress. Monitoring of each child's progress will reported by the centre manager on a monthly basis.

If you are interested in helping in any way, or would like further information, please contact us at:

ryton2ethiopia@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you for your support