Selamta Family Project Inc

WE BELIEVE EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE LOVE OF A FAMILY. SELAMTA FAMILY PROJECT CREATES FOREVER FAMILIES FOR ORPHANED AND ABANDONED CHILDREN IN ETHIOPIA. SELAMTA IS TRANSITIONING CHILDREN OUT OF INSTITUTIONS AND INTO FAMILIES. WE PROVIDE CRITICAL, TRAUMA-INFORMED, WRAP AROUND CARE TO EACH OF OUR FAMILIES.

POVERTY, BROKENNESS AND A LACK OF DOMESTIC ADOPTION IN ETHIOPIA CREATE THE NEED FOR SELAMTA'S PROGRAMS. OUR FOREVER FAMILIES ARE A PERMANENT ALTERNATIVE TO INSTITUTIONS OR LIFE ON THE STREET. CHILDREN COME TO SELAMTA FROM GOVERNMENT ORPHANAGES AND INSTITUTIONS. SELAMTA IS TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH THESE CORE COMPETENCIES: - WRAP AROUND CARE: OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM FOCUSES ON EDUCATION, HEALTH & WELLNESS, PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, WRAPPING AROUND EACH INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY TO PROVIDE THE STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT NECESSARY TO GROW AND NEGOTIATE NEEDS.- COMMUNITY INTEGRATION: A FOCUS ON LEVERAGING THE SYSTEM AND RESOURCES OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY INCLUDING SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND MEDICAL RESOURCES TO ENSURE THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES ARE MET. WHEN LOCAL RESOURCES ARE NOT AVAILABLE, WE REACH BEYOND THOSE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES TO GET WHAT'S NEEDED. - PERMANENCY: PLACEMENT WITH A FOREVER FAMILY IS PERMANENT AND EVEN AFTER A CHILD IS GROWN AND ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES, THEY ALWAYS HAVE A NETWORK OF SUPPORT FROM THEIR FAMILY AND SELAMTA'S PROFESSIONAL TEAM. WHILE A CULTURE OF ADOPTION IS BEING NURTURED IN ETHIOPIA, SELAMTA'S FOREVER FAMILIES STAND IN THE GAP FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED TO KNOW THE LOVE OF A FAMILY TODAY. IN 2021, WE HAD THE HONOR OF WELCOMING 18 NEW CHILDREN INTO OUR KID'S CENTER, A TRANSITION HOME FOR CHILDREN COMING OUT OF GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND INTO THE LOVING ARMS OF A FAMILY. THE IMPACT IS ALREADY ENORMOUS, WITH ONE CHILD SHARING, "IT'S REALLY NICE TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO TRUST SOMEONE." AS LIFE RETURNED BACK TO NORMAL AND IN PERSON EDUCATION RESUMED IN 2021, OUR EDUCATION TEAM ASSISTED OUR STUDENTS WITH THE TRANSITION. OUR VIRTUAL ENGLISH PROGRAM, CREATED OUT OF NEED IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19 HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND FLOURISH, INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF ONE-ON-ONE MENTOR SESSIONS MATCHING OUR STUDENTS WITH A PROFESSIONAL FROM A CAREER THEY DREAM TO PURSUE. HEALTH AND WELLNESS REMAINED A PRIORITY AT SELAMTA AS OUR HEALTH TEAM CONTINUED TO NAVIGATE THE GLOBAL COVID OUTBREAKS, TREAT TYPICAL ACUTE AND CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND DISCOVER THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE 18 NEW CHILDREN UNDER THEIR CARE. TRUST BASED RELATIONAL INTERVENTION (TBRI) HAS BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CARE OUR TEAM PROVIDES TO OUR FAMILIES. TRBI IS AN APPROACH SEEKING TO HEAL RELATIONAL TRAUMA THROUGH HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS USING A BALANCE OF NURTURE AND STRUCTURE WITH A FOCUS ON ATTACHMENT. OUR TEAM HAS SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES WITH TBRI TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LED BY OUR LEAD PSYCHOLOGIST, A TBRI PRACTITIONER. SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN VITAL TO OUR FAMILIES AMIDST THE CIVIL UNREST THE COUNTRY FACED IN 2021. OVER AND OVER AGAIN OUR FAMILIES HAVE SHARED WHAT AN IMPORTANT ROLE THEIR FAITH IN GOD HAS MEANT TO THEM THROUGH IT ALL. BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE WEEKLY BIBLE STUDIES, SMALL GROUP FAITH DEVELOPMENT AND INTENTIONAL PRAYER GATHERINGS FOR ALL INTERESTED HAS STRENGTHENED OUR FAMILIES AND BROUGHT HOPE AND CONFIDENCE IN PLACE OF FEAR. SELAMTA'S COMMUNITY CENTER IS IN THE HEART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT SERVES OUR FAMILIES, OFFICES OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM, AND PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY. WITH A COMPUTER LAB, LENDING LIBRARY, COUNSELING ROOM AND FIRST AID CLINIC, SELAMTA FAMILIES KNOW WHERE TO GO AND WHO TO CALL FOR WHATEVER THEY NEED. RECOGNIZING THE TRANSFORMATIONAL IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY CENTER'S WRAP-AROUND CARE PROVIDES TO SET A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR BUILDING A FAMILY, OUR TEAM BEGAN TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER TO SERVE AS A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR MORE VULNERABLE FAMILIES IN OTHER PARTS OF ADDIS ABABA. EMPOWERING AND EQUIPPING OUR FAMILIES IS ALWAYS OUR FIRST PRIORITY. EVERY FAMILY NEEDS A NETWORK OF RELIABLE SUPPORT.