| Located in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is a former colony of Ethiopia, which gained its independence after a 30-year war. Within a short space of time, Eritrea found itself in conflict again – initially with Yemen, and again with Ethiopia. These long periods of conflict have devastated Eritrea’s economy and it is faced with an enormous task of rebuilding its infrastructure, under the veil of a fragile peace. |
Our work in Eritrea
As a result of the wars, many children who have no surviving relatives to care for them, and initially they were all sent to large orphanages. The Government of Eritrea is, however, committed to ensuring that children deprived of parental care are able to grow up in a family environment. Lacking experience in setting up alternative family-based care, the Government has adopted our Small Family Home programme.
Our approach ensures that these children are able to grow up in an environment as close to that of a normal family as possible, and that they are not segregated from the rest of the community. Working with our local partner, Vision Eritrea, we ensure that children are placed in the area in which they were born, so that they are close to their roots and to the communities which they know.
Our Small Family Homes are typical Eritrean houses where the children are cared for by a foster parent. All of the children attend school and also have the opportunity take part in community activities, just like any other family. As each child grows older, we work with the local community to prepare them for an independent adult life, ensuring that they have the same rights and privileges as their peers.
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