"COME AND SEE"

A New Start "Starts here"

‘’Come and See’’ has two directions:

1) Academic and life coaching project

2) Agricultural education

Academic and life coaching

This project includes upgrading their basic academic knowledge and using the preventive system to improve behavior. Good hygiene and other everyday skills as well as social skills are taught and modeled through this program.

Agricultural education

Hands-on approach gives the children an opportunity to work in the land they know and learn the basics of farming and animal grooming. While it keeps everyone busy it also improves their wellbeing and sense of self.

Starting through informal group counseling in the streets, it is important to make the first contact as non threatening for the children as possible.

Outing program

The Salesians go to the streets of Addis Ababa every evening in search of the children that are living on the street. After evaluating their condition and behavior the Salesians suggest to them to Come in to our Center and See if there is anything good for them there.

Juvenile Deliquency Prison

Every Friday one of our Salesian brothers accompanied by one of our social workers visits a juvenile prison to look for children that can be reintegrated into society. This collaboration with prison authorities helps us get inputs and other valuable information about the children inside. Children that come from prison receive the same treatment and opportunities to study.

In the morning hour Abba Angelo roams the streets of Addis Ababa in search of the boys who in most cases know that he is coming. They are usually waiting for him in well known locations.

The number of boys that come with Abba Angelo to the Center each day may vary. Usually depending on the weather, social situations in the city and the results of the search of our Salesian brothers and social workers from the previous night..

After setting foot on the grounds of the Center, their pockets are searched to remove any possible weapons that they might carry, illegal substances and or injuries with different objects. Money is also taken from them, but returned to them when they leave (such practice prevents targeted conflicts and theft occuring).

It takes a minimum of six encounters on the street after which the children can join the ‘’Come and see’’ program in the Center. They come in the morning and return to the street in the afternoon, slowly adjusting to a more structured way of life and following the rules while learning to trust our team.

This period prepares them for a radical decision to change their young life – if they want to join our program they will have to make some adjustments in their behavior and study.

Once they enter – education, socialization and life skills training begin immediately.

The number of children attending the ‘’Come and See’’ program varies from day to day, with an average of 20 to 40 children a day. The number of children who stay in the ‘’Come and See’’ and live in the Center averages at about 15 to 20.

In addition to food and shelter, adequate education using different methodologies that are best suited to the individual needs of the child is provided. Among life skills taught and modeled at the Center are personal hygiene, good manners and housekeeping.

Activities

- Group encounters on the street
- Guidance and counseling on the street
- Reception of street children for Day Program
- Providing food
- Literacy and non-formal education
- Providing educational and recreational materials
- Providing basic medical and personal hygiene services
- Guidance and counseling services
- Various skills training
- Close follow-up sessions
- Recruiting teachers and social workers
- Contacting families for reintegration

Alphabetization

‘’Come and See’’ offers children basic education so that they are well equipped to continue their studies in the Institutional care program if they want to. Most of them come from different tribes so they don’t use Amharic alphabet, which is why they learn the Amharic language in the program. An introduction to English language and mathematics is also provided.

Food and shelter

Children from the street have breakfast and lunch available to them, while those who sleep in the Center also have supper.

24-7 Support

Constant support through medical care, psychological care and the presence of a social worker or volunteer is provided to all children. Constant presence helps them ask for help and prevents potential bad behavior.

Movie nights

Like every other child in the world, our children like to watch movies. One of our favorite activities in the Center serves as a window to the world and also gives them a sense of everyday normalcy of other children.

A system that gives results

We are happy to say that through networking we have built good working relationships with Government bodies and NGOs in the areas of beneficiary selection and capacity building.

After the trial and adaptation period which lasts for a couple of months, the children continue their education and rehabilitation through the Institutional care program lasting nine months.

The care program follows as the children start the orientation program and their formal academic education or TVET course begins. They are encouraged to make their own choice and follow the path that they feel most comfortable in.

Overcoming learning difficulties

For some of the boys learning and studying can be a very challenging task. Due to difficulties with school they then remain inside of ‘’Come and See’’ program where they attend an informal TVET class. That way they obtain practical knowledge, and have something to fall back on. If in the meantime they are able to overcome their learning challenges, they will obtain a diploma for the same field that they are already in.

AGRICULTURE

Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity "Seneca"

Most African
countries have failed to meet the requirements for a successful
agricultural revolution, and productivity in African agriculture lags far behind the rest of the world. This has recently
led to renewed debate within the international development
community concerning the role of agriculture, particularly
small farms, in African development.

In our center we are giving our contribution for the development of our country by teaching our children the importance of agricultural work. By teaching new generations to grow crops and farm animals, we are also teaching them sustainability. This gives them a better opportunity to start a small farm in the future and help their families to live better.

Our goal is to establish an agricultural section for a bigger number of students with qualified teachers (at the moment there is only one teacher in this sector)

Agricultural sector animals:

Cows
Sheep’s
Chickens
Rabbits
Bees (in progress)

Garden with different sectors

Learning sustainability

Dairy farming

Currently we have three adult Cows and we are planning to grow numbers. One of our cows recently gave birth, giving us a reason to celebrate.

Milk received from our animals is primarily used in our kitchen, while the rest is sold at the market. This money covers veterinary expenses or helps buy food for cows. This is mostly done for educational purposes, as the income is not sufficient to cover these expenses.

Sheep farming

We have around twelve sheep whose main purpose is to teach children the important things about grooming them. The children however mostly like to play with the baby sheep.

Rabbit production

The most exciting novelty is our rabbit production. While they are an easy animal to keep as a source of food and to help their families by selling them, our children are very much enjoying playing with rabbits.

This project also has educational purposes and is not yet self-sustainable.

Chicken farming

Our benefactors helped with buying about a hundred chickens. We predict that when the chickens start to lay eggs, the eggs sold will make this endeavor self-sustainable.

Serving as a playground for education, this department teaches the children first hand about diseases and how to recognize and cure them. Through everyday work they are learning all that which is needed to sustainably grow chickens..

Farming sector

URBAN FARMING

Urban agriculture in Addis Ababa is contributing a lot to food supply in the city. The city sources most of the vegetables from urban farmers and farmers in the peri-urban areas as urban farmers in Addis Ababa produce vegetables for home consumption and as a source of income for their families. There are also urban agriculture practitioners who grow vegetables only for home consumption.

Our Center also introduces urban and rural agriculture to our students. In the future we plan to grow a formal agricultural sector for our students. At the moment this sector is a successful pilot project for farming and growing food. (It is open only for our ‘’Come and See’’ children)

Our benefactors helped with buying about a hundred chickens. We predict that when the chickens start to lay eggs, the eggs sold will make this endeavor self-sustainable.