History Blessing - Kamashi
Our History
Blessing the Children International was founded for the purpose of helping children; it's our reason for existing. Since organizing in 2001, we have partnered with other organizations for the furtherance of existing programs, establishing of new programs, and provided services in four principle areas:
Communications: Photography, Letter Writing, Creative Design, Donor Development, Printing & Publications, Literature Development
Consulting: Corporate Consulting, Marketing Consulting, Program Development, Database Development, Packaging & Fulfillment, Campaigns & Fundraising
Services: Travel Services, Meeting Facilitation, Professional Services, Administrative Services, Auditing & Accounting Services
Management: Inventory Managing, Mailing List Management, Sponsorship Management, Website Design & Management, Bulk Mailing & Distribution
During BCI's first few years, we focused on partnering with like-minded ministries to increase their effectiveness and assist them in program development and implementation. Working with over 30 nonprofit organizations in America, Central America, and Africa - this largely composed of measuring, documenting, and communicating the results of their ministries to their donors.
January 2001 - BCI joins a partner ministry in El Salvador, to improve donor communications through regular mailings and publishing a monthly newsletter.
March 2002 - BCI began managing a missionary sponsorship program for a partner ministry in Ethiopia, Africa, and developed a report collection system to keep sponsors informed of their missionary's progress. We also worked with the ministry in publications and a monthly newsletter.
November 2003 - BCI invited to help a partner ministry develop a plan for sponsoring and planting 1,000 new churches in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, Africa. Previously, only seven churches existed in the entire region of almost a million people.
January 2004 - BCI launches the Ethiopian Call Ministry through a partner ministry, planting 1,000 new churches in the remote villages of Ethiopia, over the next two years. BCI fully managed all aspects of the program; missionary deployment, tracking, and data collection for communications to more than 1,500 donors. The one thousandth church was planted September 15th, 2006.
January 2006 - BCI launched the Kamashi Orphanage & School in a remote area of Benishangul Gumuz, Ethiopia, at the president's request. The Kamashi Orphanage is a 500-bed facility built by the government in 2003, but sat empty for three years due to the government having no operational budget. The orphanage was given to BCI free of charge and we received out first 38 children in January, 2006.
April 2006 - The first team visits the Kamashi Orphanage & School. BCI begins recruiting and hosting mission trips to Ethiopia.
May 2006 - BCI receives 70 new orphaned children into the Kamashi Orphanage, bringing our total to 140.
August 2006 - BCI launches a short-tern missionary program, whereby volunteers from American and abroad are able to serve in the Kamashi Orphanage. In the same month, the first two short-term missionaries arrive.
March 2007 - BCI announces it will begin receiving infants in cooperation with an adoption agency based out of Florida, to adopt children to good homes in America. First ten infants received September, 2007.
October 2007 - BCI announces plans to start a ministry in the Debre Zeyit area of Ethiopia. The Adana Children Center will be an orphanage, school, community center and foster care program. The word 'Adana' means 'Rescue' in the Amharic language, the national language of Ethiopia.
January 2008 - BCI launches the program in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia, whereby over the next five years, 600 orphaned children will be rescued and provided wholesome families to care for them as their own children.
April 2008 - BCI consolidates its ministries in Ethiopia to the Debre Zeyit location, ceasing the work in Kamashi.
November 2008 - BCI breaks ground for the construction of the Adana Children Center in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia. Along with serving the community, this center will also serve as a school named the "BCI Academy".
September 2009 - BCI completes phase-one construction of the BCI Academy, opening grades one through four on September 21st, 2009.
November 2009 - Blessing the Children featured in an article on Wikipedia.
December 2009 - Blessing the Children announces the establishment of Canadian offices, incorporated as a charitable corporation.
January 2010 - Blessing the Children - Canada Inc. began operations and support of ministry projects in Ethiopia.
February 2010 - Construction begins on Phase II of the BCI Academy.
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