Dear Friend of ACN,

As we wrap up 2023, my heart is full of gratitude for the remarkable journey we've undertaken over the past five years. Your unwavering support has been the driving force behind our ability to bring hope into the lives of countless orphans and vulnerable families in Ethiopia. As follows are some noteworthy stories and news about our scale-up model.

Stories You Made Possible in 2023 & Prior Years

• Eyob is the special needs boy whose story profoundly touched our hearts. Your generous response established the ACN special needs program, which pairs local volunteer mentors with disabled children, and created a community of love, attention, and outdoor activities.

ACN Childcare Program

• Serkalem, a young girl with dreams, reached out to us expressing the struggles she faced despite the initial hope we inspired. Your incredible response led to the launch of the ACN mentoring program, which connects vulnerable youth with local mentor moms and dads. Hundreds of young girls and boys have seen their lives transformed with hope, life skills, jobs, and more.
  
  

•  Meserte, an 18-year-old girl who faced homelessness after a tumultuous childhood, prompted the launch of the ACN volunteer-run internship program. Your support allowed us to pair local business owners with vulnerable youth for  on-the-job training and job placement, providing them with skills, employment, homes, and, most importantly, hope.
  
  

• After-school programs in different parts of the city provide tutoring in math, science, reading, arts, and sports, which laid a strong academic foundation while preventing homelessness.
  
  

• The plight of young moms living in a shelter inspired the creation of the ACN childcare program. Your support established volunteer-run centers where vulnerable moms can leave their babies, enabling them to pursue jobs, earn income, and regain their dignity.

Each story and each program are a testament to your investment in all seven strategic programs of ACN in health, education, jobs, and social services spread across 11 different sites in and around the capitol city of Addis Ababa.

ACN After-School Program

Scaling Up!

Now, some exciting news about the future of ACN. Behind the scenes, we've been developing a scale- up model to take our programs to a national level in Ethiopia. This model involves collaboration between local volunteers, the government, and other NGOs. In pursuit of nationwide scale-up and sustainability, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs has launched a National Steering Committee incorporating three additional ministries—Education, Health, and Jobs —along with the Mayor’s Office of Addis Ababa and the Agency for Civil Society.

Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister for Women and Social Affairs, expressed her commitment, stating, "Leveraging the recently formed steering committee, I am confident in our capacity to transform the lives of five million orphans and vulnerable families throughout Ethiopia.”

ACN 5th Annual Fundraising Christmas Gala

Delegation at The ACN 5th Annual Fundraising Christmas Gala

This month marked a significant milestone for the Alliance Care National Mentoring Movement in Ethiopia, a program focused on the care of orphans and vulnerable families. The month kick-started with an annual ACN Christmas gala at the Embassy of Ethiopia with more than 200 people attending to raise funds to grow into 14 more sites in 2024. In December, we’ve been blessed with $100,000 raised toward a year-end goal of $400,000. Thank you! 

ACN Team Meeting with UN Women

Her Excellency Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister for Women and Social Affairs, along with her esteemed delegation, traveled to the USA to strengthen relationships and participate in various activities. In New York, the delegation together with ACN upper leadership, engaged in successful discussions with UNICEF, UN Women and UN Deputy Secretary- General. In Washington, D.C., the delegation and ACN leadership met Congressman John Garamendi of California, who pledged his commitment to championing our cause. 

ACN Team Meeting with UNICEF

Additionally, Dr. Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopian Ambassador to the USA, stated, “Our embassy remains dedicated to accompanying Alliance Care Now during the national scale-up phase of the mentoring movement in Ethiopia, just as we did during the piloting phase. Serving alongside this remarkable organization has brought joy to our efforts in supporting the orphans and vulnerable children of Ethiopia.”

Please join us in a moment of reflection on what God has allowed us to accomplish together. Forming a volunteer-run organization, designing programs, piloting each initiative, developing a scale-up model, and now, testing the model while expanding the pilot to Hawassa, Hosana, central Ethiopia as well as Addis Ababa – these are blessed activities, and we acknowledge the Lord’s hand is on us as we move forward together with you to serve orphans and vulnerable families. We forge into the new year with a new goal: in five-years, we will serve five million orphans and vulnerable families in all regions of Ethiopia, using the power of five million volunteer mentors. Let’s press on!

WAYS TO GIVE:

• Visit www.AllianceCareNow.org/giving

• Click the red "Give Today" button below

• Mail a check made out to Alliance Care Now to:
  P.O. Box 8205 McLean, VA 22106

• For those donating through a foundation, please continue using the name Orphan Care Ethiopia as we're in the process of updating to ACN.

With Gratitude,