Where Your Sponsored Child Lives

The Hidhabu Abote (pronounced Hida-boo Ab-oh-tey) community is located almost 150 kilometres north of Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa.

About 75,000 people live in the project area, of which about 98% are Christian. Hidhabu Abote is located in a woreda (or district) that consists of mountain ranges in the west, along with midland and lowland areas.

The Hidhabu Abote area is considered one of the poorest regions in the country.  People in Hidhabu Abote depend largely on subsistence farming, growing cereals and pulse crops like lentils and beans, while also raising livestock. This livelihood is threatened by growing food insecurity. Most families trying to make a living through farming face challenges such as recurrent drought, while traditional farming practices contribute to soil erosion and poor crops. A mere 3% of families in the Hidhabu Abote project have access to a safe water supply.

Challenges in 2002

Lack of food and poor health
Families have a hard time growing enough food to feed their children. They face many challenges: poor soil fertility, lack of rain, poor farming practices and high temperatures. They also experience loss of crops to wild animals, pests and diseases.

For the Hidhabu Abote community, livestock plays a crucial role in the day-to-day life of families – providing milk, meat and hides. Families have not had the opportunity to develop other sources of food and income, which means that they are vulnerable during times of water shortages.

The biggest challenge to overall health is the lack of potable water. 97% of the community is accessing water from springs that are not protected. Children often drink unsafe water, leaving them susceptible to waterborne diseases that cause diarrhea. Poorly nourished children are even more at risk. This situation is also worsened because few children have been immunized and there are few health facilities to provide care and treatment.

Impact of HIV and AIDS
AIDS is now the leading cause of death among young adults in the country. The number of orphaned children has steadily increased and any families that are taking orphaned children in are already struggling to survive.

HIV continues to spread in the Hidhabu Abote area because most people do not know how the disease is spread and have not learned how to protect themselves.  People are often forced to move frequently to larger towns to find work, which means they are more vulnerable to the spread of the disease. 

Lack of Education
More than 43% cent of school-aged children in Hidhabu Abote are not in school. Low literacy, poor enrolment, and dropout rates of over 20% mean that many children are either not in school, or behind in their schooling. Some children leave school because their parents have no choice but to have them work to boost household income.

More than 91% of the community is illiterate – with few accessing education opportunities. That limits parents’ ability to help support their children’s education and often means that parents do not understand the importance of continued schooling.

How Does Child Sponsorship Help?