The Ethiopian Children’s Fund (ECF) was born from a deeply personal experience. In 1993, founder Anna Getaneh visited refugee camps along the Ethiopia-Kenya border. The devastating conditions she witnessed, especially among vulnerable children, left a lasting impact. Determined to make a meaningful difference, Anna rallied a group of like-minded individuals from around the world and began laying the groundwork for what would become ECF.
Following a series of successful fundraising efforts, ECF was officially registered as a non-governmental organization in Ethiopia in 1997. This marked the beginning of its first major initiative—the Education and Development Program in Aleltu (ECF-EDP), along with the development of the ECF Children’s Village.
ECF-EDP was established on 15 hectares of land adjacent to the rural village of Aleltu, approximately 55 kilometers north of Addis Ababa. The site was chosen due to its extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure. Aleltu, part of the Berehe-Aleltu Woreda, is home to over 150,000 people, the majority of whom rely on agriculture for their livelihood, primarily crop farming and livestock rearing.
With little to no private or public investment, Aleltu Village faced severe educational and health challenges. At the time, the area had only two overcrowded and under-resourced elementary schools and a single high school shared by multiple communities.
Children’s access to education was further restricted by long distances, the pressures of child labor, and the costs associated with schooling. Gender disparity was especially stark—female school participation was critically low. As a result, roughly 65% of children had no access to primary education, and fewer than 1% had access to early childhood development programs. Healthcare access was equally limited, with only one small, inadequate clinic located far from most residents.
To address these challenges, ECF-EDP was launched in 1999 with an initial enrollment of just 20 students. Though located in a rural setting, the site’s proximity to Addis Ababa allowed for consistent involvement from both local and international benefactors. Since then, the program has grown to serve over 2,000 children—from Kindergarten through University, including vocational training—all with a commitment to gender equality.
In 2011, with the support of DFFAF, ECF expanded its offerings by launching the Gelila Assefa Puck Vocational Center. The center provides practical training in Information Technology, Sewing, and Design, creating pathways to employment for ECF graduates who do not pursue university, as well as for members of the surrounding community.
What began as a response to a moment of human need has evolved into a long-term, community-driven program empowering generation of Ethiopian children through education, opportunity, and hope.
