Speaker Kevin Morley

To see large copies of the images please click on one of them.

The charity currently supports 110 children and that is soon to be 112. 2 pregnant young women escaping from the war zone have been pointed in the direction of the charity.

In 2020 Civil war broke out with the Ethiopian Federal army plus the Eritrean army versus Tigray population who straddle the boundary between the 2 nations. A recent cease fire broke down and the situation in the country is now very serious. Over the last 2 years war, famine and drought have killed 500,000 people.

Kevin went in April, despite foreign office only go if absolutely necessary, in order to keep up to date with the work of his volunteers in Addis Ababa. He felt that because of the severe unrest in the country he needed to agree way forward. It is important that the 4 main tenents of Saltergate are still be followed: -

1. Each child must be looked after by family member.

2. The organisation is not an orphanage but rather a support system for children to remain in some form of family unit.

3. Those helped must work to independence.

4. Every penny the charity raises goes to children. Any running costs are met by Kevin and the other trustees personally.

The charity now owns 100 chickens (see photo). For the first 3 month they did not produce anything until they were big enough to lay. Now they lay on average lay 1200 eggs per month producing £20 profit per month. In addition it has also purchased a cow which has recently calved. The cows milk is sold producing enough income to support 7 children. It costs around £20 per month to support 1 child.

The work in Addis Ababa is split between 7 volunteers who each support a small community The Lemlem community is shown in the photograph above.

See the photograph above of Temesgen who was taken in 3 years ago. He is wearing Chesterfield F.C. scarf because this football club are a supporter of Saltergate.

Some of the ways that family members are encouraged to become self-supporting are: -

Getting a mobile fryer to sell chips around the city. (see Sharon in the photo above)

Buying a sewing machine.

Opening a shop.

Some of the other Photographs above show: -

Yosief in 2016 and 2022. He's now 10 years old and his mother has taken in another widow and her child and Yosief is helping look after the baby.

Danait was put back in school in 2016 then in 2019 went to university and graduated in marketing in 2021 and has now got a job.

A photo showing 2 of 3 blind triplets Soliyana and Hananiye who are keen on music and were provided with an electronic keyboard.

Microloans were explained to Kevin and he was asked if the charity would be willing to oversee the operation of a loan scheme in Ethiopia if Blaize provided some seed funding. He said yes he could get somebody in Addis Ababa to run such a scheme.

Kevin was asked about education for the children. He said that all school age children were in school. Education costs £10 per month plus £3000 p.a. for all children plus cost of books etc. He said there were some free schools but the education provided was very poor being more akin to child minding.

There is no welfare state in the country so things such as medical care has to be paid for. They have found over the years some friendly doctors who work on their behalf for a reduced bill.

For more information go to their web site - http://saltergatechildrenshome.org/