SELAM owns three children's villages Two of them are in the capital Addis Ababa and one in northern Ethiopia, in Wukro . The villages have close contact with the neighboring quarters. Through various activities, the children come into contact with the people in their neighborhood again and again.
Addis Abeba und Wukro
family model
SELAM introduced the family model at the locations in Addis Ababa. This gives the children the chance to grow up in a child-friendly environment with many siblings.
In the two villages there are 16 family houses for 10-12 children of different ages and sexes. Responsible and trained housemothers are employed in each home to take care of the children and raise them as if they were their own. The housemothers are supported in their work by so-called aunts. From the age of 15, girls and boys live in separate houses in so-called "teenage families".
Some of our children went through traumatic experiences before they came to SELAM. There are social workers at SELAM who take care of such children. The social workers also receive special courses in trauma management.
160 children are currently living in SELAM (as of 2020).
188 Kinder in Addis Abeba
160 Kinder in Wukro
Addis Abeba
Semi Independent Living
At the age of 18, the young people leave the children's village and move to SELAM shared accommodation outside, which is called "Semi-Independent Living". They receive a monthly amount with which they cover rent, food, transport costs and other expenses. There is also a clothing fee twice a year. This is how they learn to take care of themselves.
SELAM supports the young adults until the end of their apprenticeship or their studies and 6 months beyond. The support is provided financially as well as by mentoring SELAM social workers. This gives the young adults time to gain a foothold in the world of work.
A total of 145 young people are taking part in the SIL program (as of 2020).
101 junge Erwachsene in Addis Abeba
