GOAL Street Children's Project

Hello Everyone,

Hope you're all enjoying the summer. We hear the heat wave is over. Too bad! It rains in Addis Ababa every day so I have to say, I don't have too much sympathy.

This week, we visited the GOAL office in Addis. We'd heard great things about the GOAL projects in Addis so we were delighted to see the programs first hand. In Addis, GOAL operates two drop-in centres and four night shelters for street children and caters for two hundred children at any one time.

These children are fed, clothed and given a place to sleep each night. On top of that they are offered guidance and couselling, informal and formal education and when they turn sixteen they do skills training so that they can get permanent jobs when they turn 18 and have to leave the program. GOAL also tries to reunify children with their families where possible.

There was so much activity at the drop-in centre. It was great to see. Table tennis, draughts, local board games, washing, cooking, tae kwon do. Everyone seemed friendly and happy. It really was inspiring. My only wish is that GOAL could cater for even more children.

Anyway, that's all for now. Please keep in touch.

Niamh.