April 21, 2017- A word from our wonderful Program Manager, Semere Fekadu….
Eight months ago, I was honored to be asked to join the Addis Jemari family as the in-country program manager and truly believe in the mission to encourage, educate and empower once orphaned and vulnerable teenage girls in Ethiopia.
Looking back, I can see the amazing progress we have made as Addis Jemari has come to fruition. We have become not only a thriving organization, but also a team and a family.
There has been great, visible positive change in the lives of our girls and AJ staff. Even though we still have a long way to go in encouraging, educating and empowering the girls, we have achieved a lot in this short period of time. We have given the girls a safe and loving home, access to education, family, and the best care possible.
However, this doesn’t mean we didn’t face any challenges. The girls had to adjust to the new environment all while adapting to a new home and living as a family unit.
It’s important to understand why we do what we do. We don’t just give our girls shelter, food, clothing and education, but we provide them with unconditional love, and individuals who protect, care, and advocate for them. For the first time, some of our girls are understanding what it means to be part of a family. Addis Jemari gives them another chance and a new beginning.
The achievement we’ve had so far could not be attributed to one or two people, but to the AJ staff, our girls and the wonderful supporters and champions of Addis Jemari.
We dream big at Addis Jemari, and our prayer is to add more children to our home, as well as develop other programs that will allow us to partner alongside families in our community to keep them together and intact. With God by our side, I am confident we will achieve our goal.
Semere Fekadu
Program Manager, Addis Jemari