Adana Children Center

At Blessing the Children, we're committed to helping kids; a ministry we take very seriously. Adana means ‘rescue’ in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. Many orphaned children who have lost their parents, have no one to care for them. Their situation becomes hopeless and their chance of survival slim.  With a sponsorship from someone like you, together we can rescue these children.

The Adana Children Center is located in Debre Zeyit (population 130,000), Ethiopia, just 45 minutes from Addis Ababa, the nation’s capital.  Here is a map of Debre Zeyit with points of interest.

Click on image above for larger image

A Community Center

The Adana Children Center will be a hub of activity in the community.  During school hours, most of the compound is to be dedicated to the primary education of children.  The school schedule and its special events are viewable here. While there is limited space during the day for adult education and vocational training, in the afternoons and evenings the entire compound will be available for community service programs, focusing on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of both children and adults in the community. 

Initially, the project is renting two guest house compounds for operations and team housing until the Adana Children Center facility is constructed.  The construction is scheduled to be completed by 2012, in four phases.  However, the school will be ready to use after the first phase, and is scheduled to open September 1, 2009.  See the Full Project Proposal for details on the budget, design, and implementation timetables.

Blessing the Children is currently sponsoring 10 mission trips per year, leading teams to work in the sponsorship program and the local churches in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia.  Every team is involved in working in the homes of the widows and impoverished families to make improvements in their living conditions, while also teaching English Classes and holding special activities and outreaches.

Orphanage / Boarding House

The Adana Children Center will have housing and kitchen facilities to provide a home for 24 children or missionaries.  These accommodations are available to:

• Children in special circumstances, needing a temporary place to stay while being adopted or while a foster family is found to care for them.
• Missionaries (short and long term) who come to Ethiopia to serve with Blessing the Children. 
• Teams serving Blessing the Children on short-term mission trips.

The orphanage is not intended to be a permanent residency for children, since a family within their community is a healthier choice to raise a child, where the child will receive the individual attention they need.  

While under construction, Blessing the Children is renting multiple facilities for team and missionary housing, and using the classrooms in the local churches for teaching English and special activities.  It is a burden on the local churches, since they need the space for their own programs, but they are happy to cooperate and work with BCI while construction of the new Adana Children Center is underway.

Blessing the Children International partners with the local churches in Ethiopia to assist in identifying orphaned children in need.

The Adana Children Center operates under the sole direction of Blessing the Children International, whose international headquarters are in America.  All funds for the project are receipted in the United States and wired directly to the project in Ethiopia where they are used for their designated purpose.

Blessing the Children International is incorporated in the state of Michigan, as a 580(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.  All gifts are fully tax deductible as allowed by law.