About Us
- A help to those who need it
Introduction of I Care
I Care for the Nation (I Care) is a locally established, non-profit, and non-governmental organization in Ethiopia. It began its operations in 2009 and obtained its license in 2011G.C. with a registration number of 2333 in Ethiopia.
The organization's primary focus has been on a community transformation approach to contribute towards to poverty alleviation and peace building. It targets several key populations, including orphan and vulnerable children (OVC), women at risk from economic dependency and gender based violence, needy grandmothers, female university students and unemployed youth in both urban and rural areas.
Over the past 12 years, our organization has worked diligently to fulfill its vision and mission, as mandated by Civil Society Organization legislation and foundation articles. I Care envision a physically fit, mentally developed, morally mannered and socially accepted society. The organization’s mission remains to create a responsible and economically strong society by providing formal and informal education, as well as technical, material and financial support to the destitute communities.
Hanna Smith
Expert volunteer for years
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People Supported
- Each drop creates the sea
Launched Projects
1
Orphan and vulnerable children support
It is a support having a holistic approach for those who are totally vulnerable in many ways.
- Physical development
- Mental/ intellectual development
- Social development
- Moral/ethical development
2
Women empowerment
Most of the women we are supporting are those who are suffering from different kinds of abuses and so living under depression.
- Psychosocial support (informal counseling)
- Economic empowerment
3
University girls support
It focuses on helping female university students whom they couldn’t afford the very basic needs that helps them to continue their education
- sanitary napkin, sanitation materials, photocopy and prints
- hair oil, Vaseline and the like
4
Grandmothers support
Grand mothers who need our help are very destitute, sick and very tired of bearing every load while they are raising their grandkids.
- Monthly grocery support that is some food items
- Cash support
Orphan and vulnerable children support
It is a support having a holistic approach for those who are totally vulnerable in many ways. The children we are raising are single orphaned, double orphaned, HIV positive by themselves and/or families and the poorest of the poor children who have nothing to hope to grow.
I Care for the Nation is trying to address the challenges of these vulnerable children in order to help them to achieve their dream in a holistic manner. It includes physical, mental, social and moral development. Under these categories:
Physical development
- Casual cloths
- Shoes and socks
- Medication
- Sanitation materials
Mental/ intellectual development
- Exercise books
- Pen and pencil
- School bags
- School uniforms
- Tutorial classes
- Educational trips
Social development
- Facilitating recreational trips
- Experience sharing
- Facilitating life skill trainings
- Self-awareness and self-empowerment
Moral/ethical development
- Trainings on maturity
- Identifying our good cultures and developing it
- Trainings on ethical matters
- Knowing responsibilities and rights
- The wisdom of living together
Women empowerment
Most of the women we are supporting are those who are suffering from different kinds of abuses and so living under depression. Hence in this case, women need a psychosocial support in order to see their changes in a sustainable way.
Therefore the support is designed and given in to two ways:
This is how the women empowerment is done effectively and efficiently.
Psychosocial support (informal counseling)
we consider the main support for these women group is basically the psychological support which is the most needed to them in order to send them free from the stress which limit them to grow as they dreamed off. It took six months and we call it (ኑ ቡና ጠጡ, Let’s have coffee) this is an informal counseling type and a space which they can talk what they feel but the moderator is followed strictly the designed lesson plan. The gathering is a likeminded team so that no fear of expressing their thoughts during this therapy. It is the brain of the empowerment as we saw from our experience. After they feel free from the depression, we tried to teach them talent identification in order to know on what area they can engage to do their business.
Economic empowerment
This program is also divided in to two Income generating activities (IGA) training - it continued after the talent identification program is done. Based on the identified talent, skill training will be provided. So far we have barista and catering training, laundry and leather painting training, day care (Nanny) training, cotton spinning training, weaving training and sewing/tailoring training. Along with all skill trainings, basic business skill (BBS) training is given to all women who are finished the skill trainings. Self-help group (SHG) approach - after the IGA and BBS training is done the women will form a group called SHG and they will start saving. At this time I Care will add some money as top up in order to strengthen the group so that they will have money to borrow and start their own business.
This is how the women empowerment is done effectively and efficiently.
University girls support
This program is particularly given to the girls coming from rural areas and from poor families. These girls are reaching here by wining so many obstacles in addition to cultural barriers regarding to the girl’s education. It focuses on helping female university students whom they couldn’t afford the very basic needs that helps them to continue their education especially sanitary napkin, sanitation materials, photocopy and prints, hair oil, Vaseline and the like. Due to this, most of them enforced to drop their education and some of them are prioritized to be a prostitute to cover their costs rather to quit their education even though both decisions affect their life in many ways. Therefore, I Care is started to be an agent to help these girls in order to make them to achieve their dreams and exercise their education rights.
Grandmothers support
Grand mothers who need our help are very destitute, sick and very tired of bearing every load while they are raising their grandkids. Even though we are working on sustainability but these group needs attention to help. Not only we are helping them because they are destitute but also they are the only shelter for grandkids that we are helping for.
In this case, the support is two types:
- Monthly grocery support that is some food items
- Cash support to allow them to buy whatever they want to buy for their mental relief as they feel they have some money at their hand
Projects on the process
Let my sister learn project
The main goal of this project is focused on girls’ education that will work on with three scenarios
- Scenario I- Destitute university girls
- Scenario II- Girls are living in the areas which schools are available but girls didn’t encouraged to learn and mostly they are assume they should be a support of families
- Scenario III- Tthis is the area which schools are unavailable
Efoyta women rehabilitation and empowerment center
Duration for one woman in the center will be 4 to 6 months Support in the center:
- A help to those who need it
Training type
Life skills
Vocational and business
- Barista
- Laundry
- Sweater
- Weaving
- Cotton spinning
- Sewing
- Plumbing
- Makeup and nail polishing
- Hair dressing
- Food preparation
- Basic business skill
Center design
Offices
Counseling rooms
Meeting hall
Psychosocial spaces
Day care
Bed rooms
Shower rooms
Laundry rooms
Playing grounds
Training rooms
Clinic
Library
Kitchen
Storage