Sponsor a Child today!
Did you know that 11 million children die each year before the age of five - that is about 30,000 every day - because they have not received the care they deserve as a right. This dreadful reality must change.
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Ethiopia is situated in Eastern Africa and has an estimated population of about 65.8 million. In sheer geographic size, Ethiopia is more than sixteen times the size of Ireland. Food insecurity is one of the current priority issues and critical challenges facing Ethiopians. Approximately 47% of children under the age of five are underweight and undernourished. Food insecurity has remained chronic in various parts of the country because of both limited availability and access to food. Additionally, the livelihood of 85% of the population is entirely dependent on rain-fed subsistent agriculture. When the rains fail, like this year, Ethiopia experiences severe drought that leads to famine. ChildFund Ethiopia currently assists approximately 280,000 children and families in 34 urban and rural communities in Ethiopia. The vast majority of the funding for ChildFund programmes is provided by child sponsors, many of whom are Irish (almost 450). In addition to health, nutrition, sanitation, micro-enterprise, education and early childhood development programmes, ChildFund Ethiopia has launched several innovative initiatives including: With additional funding from the Irish government, ChildFund Ireland and ChildFund Ethiopia are working together in programmes in the capital, Addis Ababa and in the rural districts of Shashemene and Siraro in Oromio region. The programme in Addis Ababa aims to weave a safety net for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV&AIDS in two sub-cities. Activities in Shashemene and Siraro focus on issues related to child protection and the prevention of gender based violence (GBV), building the capacity of relevant government actors/partners, children, women and community leaders to address the causes of child abuse and GBV. 
