Lifesong — Ethiopia Overview

We're incredibly excited to give you the opportunity to sponsor one of these precious orphans or vulnerable children enrolled at the Adami Tulu School. We think there's nothing better than making a direct, personal connection across continents. So thank you for your generosity!

Working closely with Ethiopian leaders and veteran missionary staff Lifesong for Orphans & Gobena Coffee are partnering to serve the Ziway, Ethiopia community through these priority projects:

1. Implement a Feeding Program
   • Provide nutritious breakfast and lunch for each of the 400+ students before and during school
2. Develop Christian School
   • Add two additional classes per year (for next five years)
   • After Year 1: 450
   • After Year 2: 600
   • After Year 3: 750
   • After Year 4: 900
   • After Year 5: 1,050
   • Involves additional building facilities, educational materials, and teaching staff
3. Complete Church construction
4. Build & Operate a Group Home
   • A Christian home environment for 12 double orphan children with Ethiopian “houseparents.”
5. Create a sustainable business for vocational/entrepreneurship training
   • A block-making business where 50% of profits can help fund the school
   • Develop career skills to have sustainable careers and break cycle of extreme poverty

Additional Videos

Leadership

Gary & Peggy
Gary & Peggy have been missionaries in Ethiopia for over nine years, most of that time serving as administrators in language translation organizations, hospitals and clinics, most recently Administrator and Dietician of the Myungsung Christian Medical Center (Korean Hospital) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Current Projects

Hope Ethiopia

In Ziway, Ethiopia, children need an education to break free from gripping poverty. Public schools are lacking, so kids are left behind without the hope of an education or a future. Our current Lifesong School is not only giving hope, but also feeding 350 hungry children two meals each day. We have a critical need to build a 12 room expansion to the school. Please join with us to make a difference in a child’s life. learn more >>

Adami Tulu Nursery School

Several years ago the Meserete Kristos Church (the church Misgana Ministries is working alongside) opened a small nursery school in the next town south of Ziway called Adami Tulu. With two shifts of students, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, they accommodated nearly 150 students. Unfortunately, in 2007, because of lack of funds, the school was closed. Because the compound was not being used, the government sent notice they were going to take it back and give it to investors not of the Christian faith. read more >>  

Adami Tulu School Feeding Program

For background, please see the Ziway School Feeding Program and the Adami Tulu Nursery School pages. Now that the Adami Tulu Nursery School has re-opened, Misgana Ministries has also started a similar breakfast and lunch feeding program there. The Ziway school feeding program, in which 300 children are fed two meals each day, has been very successful. Parents, teachers, and the students themselves report that they are much healthier, more attentive in class, and have more muscle and skin tone. read more >> 

Christian School Project

The school situation in the town of Ziway is very inadequate. Many children simply do not have the opportunity to attend school at any level or in any facility. The government schools are overcrowded with up to 75 students per classroom. Private schools tend to be somewhat better, but usually have 40-50 students per class. Whether private or public, the schools are lacking in even the basics. Students must share textbooks and cannot take their textbooks home. Even standard items such as chalk and pencils are in short supply and must be severely rationed. learn more >>  

Complete Church Construction

Lifesong is working with the Meserete Kristos (in Amharic, it means Foundation of Christ) in the town of Ziway. The church has been very focused on evangelism, outreach and the initial school. The rapidly growing congregation is currently meeting in a mud building, which they have outgrown. They are in process of building a large facility to accommodate the entire congregation. learn more >>  

Evangelistic Outreach to Muslims

One of Misgana Ministries’ priorities is to reach our community and the surrounding areas for Jesus. In this predominantly Muslim and Orthodox Christian area, sharing the Good News is of utmost importance. read more >>  

Build & Operate a Group Home

There are so many orphans and homeless kids in Ziway. It is impossible not to be touched by their dire living conditions, often on the street begging and hoping to find a few discarded morsels of food. A friend of ours took one homeless boy to school, paid his school fees, and gave him a shower and new clothes. Expecting to find him in school the next day, he discovered the boy had disappeared. read more >>  

Ziway School Feeding Program

A hungry student is not able to concentrate in the classroom and has a difficult time learning. We found many of the students in the Ziway Meserete Kristos School were coming to school hungry and brought no food for lunch. Teachers complained of lack of attention on the students’ part. read more >>  

Country Updates

April 2012 Update Taretkegn is a nine-year-old student at Lifesong Ethiopia. He was very young when both of his parents died. His grandmother cared for him until he was four and then he went to live with an aunt who had the means to support him. read more >>

February 2012 Update On November 17th, Lifesong for Orphans received an offer from a generous donor to give a matching donation of up to $130,000 for the new construction projects in Ethiopia. This match lasted until year end. Thankfully, in 45 days, thanks to many of you, we reached the goal! Praise God! read more >>

read addtional ethiopia updates >>