Street Children & Youth Empowerment

Helina Teka was brought to Addis Ababa by her aunt from her home region of Oromia. While her aunt promised to send Helina to a better school once she arrived she treated her as a house maid. Knowing she would never send her to school, Helina ran away from home and ended up on the streets of Piassa, Addis Ababa. While on the street Helina suffered from hunger, sexual abuse and drug addiction. One day a friend told her about HCE and shortly after she was accepted into the New Life Girls project.

'Getting the privilege to live in the girls’ home is a very big deal for me,' she says. I am determined not to take it for granted.'

Helina meant what she said. After joining the New Life Girls Helina quit using drugs and is currently enrolled in food preparation and hair dressing skills training. When she graduates Helina wants to work as a chef in a restaurant and live on her own.

Helina Teka

New Life Girls

Tameru migrated to Addis Ababa from Gondar, a town in northern Ethiopia, because he thought life could be better in the big city. Expecting to find a job and become a rich young man, he wondered around the city to find a job until he opened his eyes to the ugly truth that life isn’t as simple as he thought in Addis. He didn’t have anywhere to go so Tameru adopted the life on the streets and suffered for more than three years from the cold weather, addiction, abuse and neglect until he was rescued by HCE.

'I consider myself lucky to be accepted at HCE,' Tameru says. 'If I didn’t get this opportunity, I might still be suffering on the streets. I now live in a rented group home with others like me. With the support we get, we can eat three times a day and wear clean cloths and keep our personal hygiene.'

Tameru just finished vocational training in gypsum construction finishing.

Tameru

Street Youth in Vocational Training