Child Sponsorship

Sintayehu was born in 1999 in Talian Sefer, a small neighborhood in Addis Ababa, into a low-income family. After her father left early in her life, she was raised by her mother and grew up facing economic hardship. “There were days when even meeting our basic needs was difficult,” she recalls.

But things changed when a community volunteer working with ChildFund’s local partners organizations, Addis Ababa Integrated Development Organization, identified Sintayehu as a child in need and helped her enroll in ChildFund’s child sponsorship program. Through this program, she received school supplies, hygiene items, and life skills training.Samrawit, a program officer who worked closely with sponsored children in the area, remembers her well. “Sintayehu was always eager to learn. The life skills sessions helped her grow in confidence, and we could see her potential,” she says.

Despite the challenges she faced, Sintayehu remained a determined student. When she didn’t pass the Grade 12 National Exam, a major setback in Ethiopia, she didn’t give up. With support from the sponsorship program, she enrolled in a private college and pursued a diploma in Customer Service. “I chose the path that felt right for me,” says Sintayehu. “It wasn’t easy, but I kept going.”

She graduated with a GPA of 3.24 and quickly found work as a customer service officer in a private savings and credit company. After two years, she moved into a new role as an accountant at a private limited company. She’s also back in school, now working toward a bachelor’s degree in Marketing.