The project objective is to construct a multi-purpose facility for Children’s Heaven, an organization that provides essential services for orphaned teenage girls in Ethiopia. Children’s Heaven currently serves more than seventy-five girls who live in the slums of Ethiopia’s capitol city, Addis Ababa, with one hundred fifty girls on the waiting list. The organization is limited in its ability to help even more girls by a lack of physical facilities and space for the girls to meet and conduct their activities. A permanent multi-purpose facility would allow Children’s Heaven to serve many more girls in a way that will change their lives forever. Ethiopia is a country about twice the size of the state of Texas, with a population of over seventy-seven million people. The average life expectancy is 42 years, and the average annual income per adult is $130 U.S. per year. Ethiopia is plagued by famine and drought, and HIV/AIDS has taken a tremendous toll there. In the capitol city of Addis Ababa, where Children’s Heaven is located, an estimated 8.8% of adults have HIV/AIDS. Teenage girls—orphaned by HIV/AIDS, poverty or other illness---fend for themselves to survive, with large numbers of them turning to begging or prostitution, which usually results in an early death due to diseases like AIDS. But for Children’s Heaven, there is no “safety net,” and there is little hope, for these over-looked young girls who live in abject poverty in the slums of Addis Ababa and who find themselves in dire and hopeless situations due to the death of one or both parents. In spite of the grim statistics, Ethiopia is a beautiful place, and the girls that Children’s Heaven serves are beautiful young women. They are girls who deserve the chance to hope for good and productive lives.

Who is the sponsoring organization?

Children's Heaven. One million teenage girls are orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. Children’s Heaven serves this population in Addis Ababa by addressing physical, educational, psychological and spiritual needs. Children’s Heaven provides food, clothing, housing, school necessities, tutoring, health services, athletics and sports, counseling, empowerment and coping skills. The program serves seventy-five girls, with a growing list of waiting girls.. The paramount goal of the organization is the prevention of HIV/AIDS among this most vulnerable segment of the Ethiopian population by empowering them with education, self-respect and a full understanding that they are not alone. Sports and athletics play a significant role in developing teamwork, survival skills and a much-needed confidence boost for these girls. Children’s Heaven sponsors programs in basketball, volleyball, soccer and track and field. Currently, over sixty-five girls are training to take part in the Great Ethiopian Run, a 10k street race in Addis Ababa (http://www.childrensheaven.org/frehiwotondeemorialun1.html) in memory of one of their “sisters” who recently passed away. Children’s Heaven operates out of a small rented temporary facility that consists of a small building and several tarp-covered walls. Each year during the rainy season, the tarp roofs are torn apart by the elements, so the girls must meet together in the muddy yard, with no shelter from the weather. Even these difficult circumstances don’t keep the girls away from Children’s Heaven, because it is the one place where they are fed, encouraged, helped and loved. Hanna Fanta, the Founder and Executive Director of Children’s Heaven, travels to the U.S. at least once per year. She has established a strong Board of Directors who help guide and provide oversight to the organization. Children’s Heaven is currently raising funds to secure a plot of land and to eventually construct a permanent facility to help this exponentially growing segment of the Ethiopian population. http://www.childrensheaven.org

Where will the project be located?

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa is the capitol of Ethiopia with a population estimated between 6 million and 11 million residents. The current Children’s Heaven facility is located in the heart of Addis Ababa, but the program is willing to move to the outskirts where there is more space and at lower cost. The Executive Director is currently evaluating a number of lots/locations for a new facility.

Do facilities at the location need to be constructed or upgraded?

Yes. Currently, the plan is to erect a new facility on an open lot of land. However, Children’s Heaven is open to locating in an existing facility if it is cost effective and meets the organization’s rapidly-growing needs. The optimal plan would be to locate in an open area that provides room for expansion using modular construction that would enable rapid and cost-effective expansion as needs grow.

Are any further architectural or design services required?

Yes. For facility design. Currently, no architectural or design assistance have been employed due primarily to lack of expertise in Ethiopia and cost.

Would this project benefit from the assistance of construction professionals?

Yes. Currently, no construction resources have been secured for the project. Additionally, while there is not a shortage of local labor, there is a definite shortage of available, qualified construction professionals. The program would welcome any assistance in the design and construction of a facility.