Residencial Care Services
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Goal:
Ensured future for abandoned children (without any trace of family) through home-like group homes where they are provided for emotionally, psycho-socially, spiritually, physically, educationally and through legal representation until they are able to live and work independently.Domestic Adoption Services:
Carefully facilitate domestic adoption requests for Grace Village children ensuring that the children will go to a safe and loving family. -
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1. Grace Village
The beginning of Grace Village, the residential project, was for children referred by social services. These were single and double orphans and abandoned children providing a safe environment for the children to grow physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally as well as receiving an education appropriate to their level.
However, in 2009 the United Nations developed Guidelines for Childcare (adopted by the Child’s Welfare Ministry in Ethiopia) where they underlined the value of family reunification. There then ensued a period of an intensive family tracing activity resulting in a good outcome. Kinfolk were located, vetted and deemed safe. The host family was asked to prepare a small income generation activity. It was supported, training and seed money given and small businesses was started by the said family. This meant that many of the children referred to the residential project were reunified with kinfolk.
Currently we process mainly abandoned children through social affairs offices in coordination with police and health facilities. We always do extensive family tracing and where possible reunification with the birth family or other extended family. If this is not successful the child will stay in Grace Village. Some children are eligible for domestic adoption, and we work with prospective adoptive families and social services for a initial 6 months foster-to-adopt program to make sure the child goes to a safe family and the family can also see if the child settles in the new family. Upon successful completion the family can finalize the adoption with the court and social services.
Occasionally there are extenuating circumstances where it is in the child’s best interest to stay at Grace Village. Bu. t we always try to do our best to find extended family for these children.
All children under our care receive holistic services and medical attention when required and if needed follow up in Mekelle or Addis Ababa at the referral hospitals there. The children attend a private school in Shire in order to give them the best opportunities for receiving a good education with better prospects later in life. Children remain part of Grace Village till they have completed their education and are able to start work and live independent. Where needed the children receive extra counseling service to help them deal with the harsh reality of not having a birth family. At the same time the environment in Grace Village is set up that the children create their own family over the years with staff and residential children.
Provision of in-house Life skills training, parenting skills training and business skills training is given.
Provision of different kind of vocational training and craft materials are provided for the training.
Beneficiaries in the centre are encouraged to transfer their potential and experience to each other.
A maximum of 60 women Sexual Gender Based Violence survivors may stay for a maximum of 3 months in the centre, younger babies stay with their mothers, older children may be lodged in the safehouse for children.
Full assistance is given upon re-integration/re-unification from extra support for re-settlement to a different area, small business start-up and intensive follow-up to make sure the women cope in their communities and their children are doing well.
Where the woman delivers a baby, she will be encouraged to look after her baby and keep her baby with her. Where this is not a feasible option and will create a mental health strain upon the mother other alternatives will be explored
Beneficiaries will be followed for 1 year after completing the service.
2. Safe House for Women
Referred women and children will receive counselling services to assist them to overcome their trauma and be psychologically empowered.
Beneficiaries will be referred to other Abraham’s Oasis (AO) services (economic empowerment, safe house, etc.) when needed or a referral is given to services not provided by AO (legal, medical etc.).
The crisis helpline via telephone is promoted in the north-Western and Western zone of Tigray to enable women and children to establish a first contact anonymously.
On site holistic care is made for women in need of a secure and healing environment upon referral by the One-Stop-Centre in Suhul Hospital in Shire. The safe house has caretakers who live-in and are responsible for hygiene and nutrition.
Transport provided for follow-up appointments in the One-Stop-Centre
Provision of psychological counselling services are available on-site and where needed psychiatric care referral through the local hospital.
Medical care and follow-up provided by the local hospital and referrals to other health institutions facilitated when needed.
3. Safehouse for children
Many children have been and continue to be separated from nuclear families while fleeing from their villages under attack during the armed conflict from 2020 - 2023. They roam alone or with others looking for family. Abraham’s Oasis provides a safe house for these children.
Holistic care is being provided for the beneficiaries who have been referred to us through Social Services or other aid agencies.
The Safe House provides group care arrangements with live-in caregivers who have been trained in child care and positive child discipline.
Counselling service and Life skills training are provided as well as time for play, sports and recreation.
Medical services are provided through the hospital.
Beneficiaries will stay up to 3 months during which time extensive tracing and re-unification efforts are be made.
All beneficiaries in this project are processed for reunification to their family or find other care arrangement within their community.
By the end of the project agreement all beneficiaries in this project will be reunified or reintegrated back to their families and communities in the best interest of the child. Where needed the families will be supported with economic empowerment to enable the family to care for the child.