Friends For Children (FFC) has its origins in a small informal group of Ethiopian friends living in Oxford. The group was formed in September 2003 to initiate a grass root movement to address the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Ethiopia. One area of concern was the growing number of orphans who lost their parents to the disease. In Addis Ababa, the capital city, alone their number runs in tens of thousands. These impoverished and traumatised children are often exposed to mistreatment, exploitation and discrimination as the traditional system of family support no longer cope to provide shelter and protection owing to their sheer number and the burden this cause to already depleted human and financial resources.
FFC is now a registered charity in the UK (Reg. No: 1115193)with small dedicated members and supporters. Its members come from diverse ethnic and national origin, and include students and professionals, men and women, young and old. The charity’s network of supporters is also diverse and inclusive. They play a crucial role in the organisation getting involved in various activities from fund raising to making donations and promotional work.
The charity started a sponsorship programme for HIV/AIDS orphans, a programme designed to provide the basic necessities of life for the beneficiaries (food, clothing and education) so that they grow up with love and care in the family of close relatives. The sponsorship programme which started with three children in December 2004 has now grown to support around 40 children (since January 2009).
To achieve its objectives FFC partners with charities working for and with OVCs in Ethiopia. Currently we work with Redeem the Generation and ISAPSO, both legally registered charities in Ethiopia, undertaking various projects which include running orphanages and households for youth, feeding programmes, providing educational and health support and managing sponsorship programmes for orphans who can be looked after by immediate relatives.
FFC is a non-political and non-religious organisation whose aims and objectives focus on alleviating the problems of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) in Ethiopia. The charity is entirely run by volunteers and has no overhead costs. All the money collected from contributions, donations and fund raising goes to sponsor children and to cover minor expenditures on essentials such as promotional materials, bank and Internet charges and stationary.