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Speaker Kevin Morley Saltergate Children's Home Ethiopia

Wed, Oct 25th 2023 at 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Blaize have supported this charity from it's inception in 2015. Last year we funded them to set up a Micro Loan scheme. Kevin updated us on the progress of the work being done in Ethiopia following which we sent another £1,000 to the loan scheme.


Kevin gave a brief outline of Saltergate Children’s Home charitable trust. He said that when starting he had thought of it running like an orphanage but quickly decided that because of “safeguarding” he would concentrate on children who still had some family connection (widowed mother, grandparents or aunts or uncles). He now supports their relative by sending money to pay school fees and to support the relative to start a business and become self sufficient. 

He then updated us on the continued success of the charity. He did this by going through a series of photographs of some of the families who have been helped. These photographs are shown above: -

1. Amanuel who was left on doorstep of a local hospital at birth and was one of the first children helped. He is shown here at his birthday party.

2. John Grubb who had been a strong supporter of the charity had recently died and a plaque to commemorate him was put at Tsege’s Community. 

3. There are 9 such communities spread around Adis Ababa Ethiopia where children are fostered in homes of their own family but then overseen by one of the community leaders on behalf of the charity. This is Peniel’s Community.4. Mamitu Gashe who got pregnant at 13 and nearly died because of a fistula. She had  3 operations but was never cured. Because of the free care that she had received over years she started assisting with operations. She has now been awarded a  Gold Medal from Royal College of surgeons and undertakes procedures herself despite having no formal training. 

5. Rahel was born with club feet and walking was a real struggle.

6. But has now had the first operation to correct her right foot and will shortly have the operation to correct the left one.

The next 3 photographs show families specifically helped by micro loans from money donated last year by Blaize: -

7. Mulushet with the donkey she bought to collect water for sale.

8. Leterberhane's at her Market Stall selling spices. She has now branched out into      selling pots and pans.

9. Zemeda's Hair Salon.
They are all now self-sufficient and repaying their loans at £1 per month.

10. Shows Matyas in the Tigray war zone. His Dad was killed in the war and his Mum     died of cancer.

11. Shows Yeshume who was blind in one eye partially sighted in the other and her baby Yodayeborn. She has now graduated as special needs teacher.

12. Shows Soliyana and Hananiya in August 2020 they were born blind to a widowed mother. The trust bought mum a laptop and she was then able to get a job. The girls were sent to a German school.

13. Shows the girls again in January 2022. Their progress saw them appearing on a television show which was seen by a Texan who was so impressed that he sent the money to open a blind school in Ethiopia.

The charities 4 principles are: -
1. The child must have some family.
2. The family must have a separate house.
3. There must be a path to independence.
4. All money goes to children, trustees pay expenses out of own pocket.

Other information given was: -
• It costs £20 a month to send child to school.
• Currently inflation in Ethiopia is 35%.
• The charity receives both one off donations and regular payments.
• The latest project is to buy cattle and agricultural to feed cattle. A cow costs approximately £600 and money will be produced from sales of milk.
• When asked about the plans for future leadership he said there were several other trustees who were much younger.

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