Bildung für benachteiligte Kinder in Äthiopien

Thanks !

How did Hahu come about

Our association grew out of a personal friendship. Asrate was a junior doctor in the 1st Medical Department of the Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, and Michael and I worked as specialists in the department. During our night shifts together, Asrate repeatedly told us about his hometown and the many children there. The chemistry between us was right from the start. Asrate also told us that he had personally supported children in their education.

It was Christmas, which made it the perfect opportunity to let Asrate talk about it in the morning meeting (on December 22nd). There was a short presentation and lots of pictures.

Michael and I then accompanied Asrate on his next visit to Addis and we too were able to see how great the need really was.

It's always nice to work in a team and right after we returned, many of our colleagues at the hospital wanted to get involved in supporting children.

We then founded the association and, after much deliberation, chose the name Hahu. Ha Hu are the first letters of the Amharic alphabet, and the name reflects our mission. We support children with education, financial support, food, and, if needed, provide assistance with medical problems.

We currently have 90 children, all of whom we know personally and have been caring for many of them for a long time.

The sponsors are friends or friends of friends. Many also support individual projects, such as the renovation of a cabin.

Hahu is a small organization and will remain so. Our philosophy is to know each child personally and to visit the families in the huts at least once a year. We do everything on a voluntary basis, and with more children, we would no longer be able to maintain this close relationship.

In Addis Ababa, Asrate's brother Yilma, who lives in Nazret, supports us. Yilma primarily handles the financial matters in Ethiopia and is a great help in planning, budgeting, and implementing construction projects (hut renovations, roof repairs, etc.).

Yoseph is also a great help to us. He was supported by Hahu in ancient times. He lives very close to the children and is the contact person for the children and families. He also oversees all the activities that we offer.

Asrate's other brother, Teshome, also lives in the neighborhood where the majority of the children live, and his wife, Ture, is particularly involved in the implementation of the nutrition program. Ture cooks a hot meal twice a week, advises us on the selection of supplementary food, and helps wherever she can with her calm organizational skills.

Of course, there are many other people, especially in Addis Ababa, who are helping us. Their activities are perhaps best seen in the newsletters.

The Hahu Project, which began with a close friendship, has now spread, and over the years, new friendships have developed. Not only among donors and sponsors, but we also maintain friendly relationships with many families and children who have already left the program.

What Hahu does:

Our goal is to provide financial support for children's education (from compulsory school through high school graduation). The money is always distributed at the beginning of the semester, and families can use it for school supplies themselves.

Over the years, we have increasingly begun to support children in preschool. Early childhood development is of enormous importance, and malnourished children are demonstrably at a disadvantage in the education system.

Our new arrivals are therefore often only 3 – 4 years old and are then supported throughout their entire school years.

Other activities that we finance with donations :

· English courses (we currently have two English teachers who teach children at different school levels)

· A tutoring group

Dance group (especially for girls)

· Football training

Food parcels for particularly needy children

· Hot meals 2 x/week for 10 children)

· Renovations (huts, roofs, etc.)

· Medical support if needed (we cover the costs of examinations or doctor's visits)

· The association can pay 4 scholarships

Dr. Asrate Zemede, pulmonologist in Vienna

I was born in Addis Ababa and have therefore experienced firsthand what happens to children who have no opportunity to receive an education. These children continue to lack social participation in the future, and it is incredibly difficult for them to find fulfilling work.

For these reasons, I cannot look away – “Education prevents poverty,” and I want to make my small contribution to this.

Dr. Elisabeth Berger

We can't change the world as a whole. What we can do, however, is keep our eyes open and not look away.

By engaging with “the foreign,” our lives expand, new cultures increase our radius of life, and new people become friends.

In my life, I have never had to worry about getting a good education – a privilege that you only truly appreciate when you see how others have to struggle for it.

It gives me great joy to see that we are able to accompany some children on their journey to education.

SPENDEN Konto Hahu Ethiopia : IBAN: AT9820 1112 9332 3522 00

Our team in Vienna

Dr. Michael Rosner

I attended the first presentations of Asrate's program. I really liked Asrate's approach—namely, their in-depth knowledge of the local situation and their focus on education.

The opportunity to contribute my commitment and knowledge to the club's activities and to work as a team appealed to me from the very beginning.

It has also simply contributed to a deeper understanding of the world, for example what it means when you spend 80-90% of your monthly income on food or when there are 60 students in a class.

Our team in Ethiopia

Yoseph Tekalign

Yoseph is our most important contact person on site. Many years ago, he was also supported by Asrate and then became a teacher. Now, Yoseph takes care of the organization; he is the first point of contact for the children and regularly attends our programs. Since Yoseph also lives very close to the children, he is an enormous help to us.

Hiwot Teshome (Ture)

Asrate's sister-in-law, married to Teshome. Ture cooks a warm, nutritious meal for 10 children twice a week. The children are selected and rotated each semester based on their particular needs. Ture helps and advises us on ordering food packages and negotiates the best prices. She always has a sympathetic ear for the children.