Biruk Demsa is nine years old and in Grade 2. He’s been with RAEY since he was six years old. No one knows how he lost his parents but he now lives with his grandmother, his last surviving relative. Being old and weak she took to begging on the streets of Addis Ababa to provide for herself and her grandson.
Biruk’s case is particularly tragic because he suffers from a rare spinal abnormality called Kyphosis, an excessive curvature of the spine that causes the appearance of a ‘humpback’. Apart from the developmental delays, Biruk is in constant pain. There is an urgency to his treatment as degeneration of the spine affects his lungs and other organs as he grows. The necessary surgical intervention Biruk needs is not available in Ethiopia, but, due to the severity of his case, he was referred to an international NGO. They agreed to help and Biruk left Ethiopia earlier this year to travel to Ghana for six months of treatment. He will then return to Ethiopia and his friends at RAEY to rehabilitate then continue with further treatment in India. He now has a bright future ahead of him.
Eyerus Yeneal is six years old and in Upper KG.
This is her third year with RAEY and her health has improved with each passing year.
She is still underweight but when she arrived she was so undernourished that her growth was stunted. Eyerus doesn’t know her father and she lives with her sick mother who struggles daily with heart disease. In the beginning Eyerus was at home alone when her mother was in a critical state and admitted to hospital. Neighbours found her and alerted the authorities who then put Eyerus on the waitlist for RAEY.
During the past three years, as a student of RAEY, Eyerus is under the supportive watch of teachers. Her mother has the use of an oxygen tank and knows her daughter will now be safe if she needs to be admitted to hospital. With the support of Raey and its nurturing environment Eyerus grows in confidence and vitality.
Medical Care
RAEY provides students with two meals per day that focus on providing children with specific vitamins and micronutrients.
Dr Roesler and volunteer nurses provide regular health checks as part of a preventive health management program, including providing vaccinations, education about hygiene and specific health care. RAEY School supports parents and guardians in good parenting and child welfare critical for health and psychological wellbeing.
Our Gifted Volunteers
A local school decided to fundraise for RAEY and managed in a short few months to help fund a communal room at the RAEY School where our cooks could prepare meals and where students were enabled to eat together at long tables in the one space.
Volunteer football players invested in RAEY School with manual labour to create a vegetable garden. The garden assists in upskilling students to be self-sustainable and provides produce that regularly features in the student's meals.
Our summer school classes at RAEY focus on learning English and we are privileged to one of our long-time volunteers helping the students to discover the music and movements to the "Wiggles". There is nothing more captivating than the students learning phonic sounds through music and song. Another longtime volunteer and art teacher, works with the students on animation and artwork - they do love to paint!
Miracle Workers in the Kitchen
We have an wonderful team of cooks AKA miracle workers, that create incredible energy rich foods and breads in massive pots which they serve daily. Milk powder provides further essential Calcium and Vitamin D.
They make 580 meals a day – more than 3000 meals a week!
The power house of Australian Volunteers
As an NGO, we are unique. We have stood the test of time without any ongoing corporate support. The entire charity is based on donations and volunteers. Every single donation, whether it be knitted items from St Lawrence's Nursing home, a collection of soaps from a class at Wilderness School, or $20 from a child's birthday, is a direct donation to the RAEY School and Community.
7000 children are on RAEY's waiting list desperate to receive the education and care the RAEY School is renowned for. Those deemed at greatest risk of illness or harm are prioritised but all children need RAEY School's help now.
Biruk Demsa is nine years old and in Grade 2. He’s been with RAEY since he was six years old.
Eyerus Yeneal is six years old and in Upper KG. This is her third year with RAEY and her health has improved with each passing year.
Read about our medical volunteers, the variety of other people including schools and sporting clubs as well as other fundraisers, and our amazing school cooks.
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