By John Massink
Shoe-shine boy, Tesfahun, living in the poorest area of Addis Ababa, is running a charity supporting children orphaned through HIV/AIDS after being inspired by the IHA-UDP project.
Tesfahun’s mother died when he was 12, he never met his father and he was only formally educated to a primary level.
Of that time he says, “My life was very disturbed. I cried. I had no family, no one to help me, no future, school, food or clothes . . . then God gave me Sister Jember”.
Sister Jember, and the IHA-UDP project she established, had an important impact on Tesfahun. Her roots, background and social status could not have been more different than Tesfahun’s but her values and the aims of the project staff, working in close partnership with his community, meant that his attitude towards his future and his potential would change.
The project, “gave me a box for shoe shining after my mother died and whenever I did Jember’s shoes she paid well and encouraged me”. Of that time, he explains, “I began to understand that God is my father and mother and my mind was changed. I asked God to change my life and I wanted to tell other people who felt they were destroyed and bad.”
“I want to help others and with the work and the support of others in the family of Jesus, I can do more,” he said enthusiastically in 2003.
Tesfahun was formally educated to the equivalent UK stage of Year 6. He has no qualifications, no paid employment, lives in a single roomed, corrugated house. He was inspired and encouraged by the project which enables the local community to construct housing, provide education and health care and develop social support networks for all ages.
As a consequence Tesfahun became determined to make a difference for others. In 2006 he gathered together volunteers, who had skills in social work, medicine, accountancy and management to help children orphaned through HIV/AIDS. After going through the necessary administrative cooperation with the local authorities he set up a project known as Growth for AIDS Orphans (AfGAO).
This project is now helping nearly 200 orphaned children with education, food, clothing, mentors and health care.
Tesfahun continues to live where he grew up. He is now furthering his education and skills through a course at the Institute for Urban Studies established through IHA-UDP to promote urban development work. A UK charity, HandinHand (www.handinhandethiopia.org), is focused on specifically supporting AfGAO.
