Addis Ababa

Ethiopiaid has been working with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia since 1993, where a group of nuns run a compound known affectionately as 'the House of Angels'. Those who arrive at its doors are among the most desperate on earth and nobody is turned away.

The nuns who run the compound work tirelessly to help refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, mentally and physically ill, poor and homeless, and victims of floods, epidemics, and famine. The House of Angels is often a last resort for the city's most despairing people, both young and old.

A visit to the House of Angels is both harrowing and inspirational. Many of those in need have been left in the alleyways near the compound by family members who are no longer able to cope. In some cases, the dying are brought to the nuns by total strangers who have found them in the street, too weak to even move.

Dr. Rick Hodes, an American doctor who has been working in Ethiopia for 21 years, is now spending valuable time at the House of Angels . He has sent numerous people for life-saving operations in Ghana and America. He specialises in helping those with cancer, spinal problems and heart problems, but treats all sorts of health problems, from diseases of the skin to cancer. The difference he is making is amazing.

The nuns look after many homeless children

The nuns run an orphanage for children who have lost their parents, many of them to HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, the children themselves are often infected with HIV too and may will not survive their teens. Some of the children are adopted while the remaining are given a home and cared for. Fighting daily for the lives of their patients, the nuns ask for nothing in return.

The House of Angels has basic overheads to cover which include medical supplies, food and maintenance costs. With your support we can continue to provide the funds needed to help the desperate and needy.

"You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it". Albert Schweitzer, French philosopher & physician (1875 - 1965)