Sele Enat moved to Layla facility
OPPORTUNITY HOUSE
In March 2007 AAI opened Opportunity House (OH), a home designed to serve children with special needs in Addis Ababa. Start-up costs were provided by a generous grant from the Margaret T. Biddle Foundation. Three years later, in 2010, OH was officially sanctioned by the Ethiopian government as a model program improving the holistic well-being of children with developmental disabilities.
The dozen or so children living at Opportunity House have a variety of disabilities including autism, blindness, deafness, and developmental delays. AAI also partners with nearby orphanages to care for several children with similar issues. Many of the children referred to the OH program have families who are unable to assist with the challenging daily needs of their child. These children are not eligible for adoption. The ultimate goal is for children to be reunited with their birth families. In 2011-2012 several children did indeed go home to improved lives with their families!
Treatment is highly individualized and designed to help each child reach his/her maximum developmental potential. Caring professionals provide speech, physical, and occupational therapy, as well as training for the staff and families responsible for the ultimate care of the child. Slowly but surely the stigma surrounding special needs is giving way to empathy and appropriate educational and therapeutic programs.
We have seen evidence of great progress! Children who were silent have begun to speak; those who were immobilized are sitting and walking with the help of intensive therapy; and all are learning to interact with others and communicate their needs appropriately.
In November, 2012, Sele Enat Orphanage moved to the Layla facility and took over the care of the OH children. Still, AAI is financially responsible for the level of care that the children receive. We cannot provide assistance without your help!
We are actively seeking grants, sponsors, and major gifts to help us continue to provide love, stability, and the best available care for these children. Please click on the DONATE NOW link to get started today!
For more information about how you can help by donating or with volunteering, please contact Jill Dole at jill@adoptionadvocates.org. Thank you!
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