Tigray, between war and oblivion

In northern Ethiopia, in the Tigray region, a war of rare violence broke out in November 2020, pitting the federal government against regional authorities. For two long years, the conflict ravaged a region that had once been stable and growing.
The toll is terrible: nearly one million dead, two million internally displaced persons, hundreds of thousands of victims of violence, destroyed civilian infrastructure, famine caused by a total blockade of the region, a completely disintegrated social fabric and a ruined economy.

To date, despite the peace agreement signed in Pretoria in November 2022, the majority of the population continues to live in extreme poverty.

Vulnerable young girls deprived of a future

The Daughters of Charity have been present in Tigray since 1973. In Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, they have set up a concrete project that brings hope: the sisters have opened a home to welcome young girls and give them the chance to build their future.

In this context of social collapse, young girls from the poorest families are among the first victims.
"Without resources, family support or institutional support, many are forced to drop out of school, become vulnerable to violence and exploitation, and see their future irrevocably closed off." Sr Desta

The project: To welcome and educate 10 young girls

"A number of young girls already living in the Saint Vincent shelter in Mekelle, as well as in the one in the town of Alitena, have completed their primary and secondary education. And the vast majority of them have gone on to college or university! They have become independent, found employment in various institutions, and started families." Sr Desta

Building on these successes, and in light of the ongoing humanitarian emergency, the project aims to support ten girls aged 13 to 18 from extremely vulnerable families by offering them the following for two school years (18 months):

- Stable accommodation at the Saint Vincent House
- Provision for their basic needs: food, hygiene, school supplies
- Education in local public schools until the end of secondary school.

At the House, these young girls receive educational support as well as human and spiritual training.

Ten girls, a thousand possibilities: sowing hope in young people

The direct beneficiaries are ten teenage girls. Five already live at the home; five others will be able to live there if funding allows. These teenage girls are accepted based on their vulnerability, the extreme precariousness of their family situation, and their motivation to continue their education.
 

But the impact of this support extends beyond the lives of these young girls. Each educated, supported, and valued young girl embodies an alternative path to exile, resignation, and hereditary poverty.
"By becoming independent and educated, they can become pillars for the reconstruction of Tigray. They are the face of a possible future, of an “after” in the midst of chaos." Sr Desta

Thank you for your support.
With them, thanks to you.

Report on the situation in Tigray: KTO TV (French) - July 2025 - 7 mins - At 4 mins 16 secs: another Daughters of Charity centre in Mekelle

If the project is financed beyond the objective, the surplus of donations received will be allocated to a similar project.