Project Eden
Historical Background
Ethiopia is a country of paradoxes. Less than 1% of the population holds 90% of the wealth.
The per capita income for families is about $130, and more than 95% of the population lives on less than $2 per day.
According to recent statistics from the United Nations, more than 90% of children and 10% of the total population (more than 6 million people)
are orphans. These "underground children", as they are often called, exist in makeshift communities, scavenging food from trash dumps and
other dangerous sites while avoiding disease and crime.
There are three main contributors to the epidemic of orphans in Ethiopia:
HIV/AIDS - Ethiopia has 7% of the world's cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 5% of the population (over 3 million people)
is HIV positive, and 5,000 adults are infected weekly. UNICEF estimates that 720,000 children are AIDS orphans.
WAR - War-related causes have led to the deaths of 579,000 people in Ethiopia between 1955 and 2002.
- Eritrean War of Independence (1961-1991)
- Ethiopian Civil War (1974-1991)
- Eritrean-Ethiopian War (1998-2000)
- Ogaden Conflict (1994-present)
The Ethiopian Red Terror, which took place during the Ethiopian Civil War, was a violent political campaign consisting of the execution of thousands
of men and women. Groups of people were herded into churches and burned. Women were subjected to systematic rape by soldiers. Victims of the
Red Terror also included 1,000 or more children, mostly between the ages of 11 and 13, whose corpses were left in the streets.
FAMINE - Ethiopia's conflicts have directly influenced the numerous famines that have contributed to the country's economic instability
(most notably in 1984). Even today, the country still struggles against the threat of famine in some of its regions.
VISION
A new orphanage in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia near Dandi Lake.
The establishment of a new orphanage in the Oromia region of Ethiopia near the Dandi Lake.
Project Eden is committed to alleviating poverty, restoring dignity, and bringing about justice. We want to do our part to help
alleviate the burden the overcrowded orphanages are facing by starting our own project.
Located on 123 acres of land our orphanage will consist of buildings for a school, counseling centers, health centers and
skills development programs. A wind turbine on the land will provide 15,000 liters of water everyday for the center and the entire
surrounding community. We will also develop a farm which will create a sustainable program to feed the kids and will generate
enough income to run the entire center in just two to five years.
Project Eden is committed to alleviating poverty, restoring dignity, and establishing justice for the orphans of Ethiopia. In keeping
with our vision and mission, we have outlined an extensive community that will support the educational, counseling, health care,
and skills development needs of its orphaned members. Housed on a 123-acre plot of land, the community will include a wind
turbine providing 15,000 liters of water every day as well as a sustainable farm, which, within 2 to 5 years,
will generate enough income to run the entire center.
Contributions
A portion of the proceed from orders placed in Ethiopia will go to Project Eden. We are also accepting corporate sponsors.