NOT an NGO

Zeru hangs out with the boy in their "bedroom," while
Abene sleeps.

One House

Many “aid” programs (not all) are deceptive in what they are really doing. While the government tries to regulate these things, still much of the money raised goes to paying staff, and staff luxuries, rather than actually helping the kids. (I asked one boy in an aid home what he ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; he reported bread, just bread.) This was the same report of all the boys who had previously been in that particular house. The house does however provide shelter and sends the boys to school. There are a small handful of boys who live in the house now, and at a glance, they appear happy.

When I asked Club Anbesa if they were interested in living there, they all unanimously agreed that the Aid House was a fraud and not a good place; that though there are funds they are not used to help the kids.

Simply said, we must be careful how we help. We are all accountable to God.

 “Project” vs. People

While many NGOs (non Governmental Organization) and Non-Profits are around to help these kids, it was discovered while beginning Club Anbesa that more people are interested in working for a project or program more than working for the people they are serving! When Jesus came to earth He did NOT form a business or organization. He was a man among men and encouraged us to go out and love people, not projects.

 

By looking at the boys individually and understanding them each on their own merits, we can more effectively serve and love them, rather than simply put them into a pre-fit mold to “help” them. From the beginning, this has been our intention. We are serving PEOPLE, not a PROJECT!

Meet Poverty

Culture of Begging

Main Challenges: We must help and provide without enabling begging. We must meet real needs, but have very limited resources.

We do not want to enable and encourage begging and entitlements, as is happening all over the country in both the poor and rich alike. A number of factors including an abundance of free aid to the perceived needy causes this.

 

In addition to these things, there is a problem with “aid,” all together. While we are taught to be generous by Jesus who taught, “Give to the one who asks,” there are other lessons Jesus and the Bible teaches as well about being wise.

 

Seeking Real Change

How:  First, we meet the boys on their terms, get to know them, and find out what they really need and want opposed to what the western world and local society wants to give them and thinks they need and want.

First, they need to be looked upon as children and humans - not a useless society of hooligans and vagabonds. Most of the boys are in dire situations when they find themselves on the street at a young age and cannot be expected to grow up in a respectable and responsible way alone. They WANT TO BELONG. They WANT to be GIVEN A CHANCE.

A witness of Jesus

How we are doing this: First, as a witness of Jesus and encountering the street kids in the same way Jesus encountered people, we used the Bible as our map for this venture. We left our home to live among those we were reaching. We showed grace to their many faults, instead of pointing them out. We prayed for them and with them. We loved them, listened to them, and taught them according to God’s way, not the worlds. We put the emphasis on living according to God’s kingdom, not this world. We encouraged responsibility and accountability, and discouraged hypocrisy and disrespect of what God created and came to save! That is humanity!

Welcome to Club Anbesa

አንበሳ

ጻድቅ ግን እንደ አንበሳ ልበ ሙሉ ነው።

ለገሰ፣ አቶት፣ አቤኔ፣ ተሾመ
Legesa, Atot, Abene, and Teshoma

Welcome to Club አንበሳ (Anbesa)

Who we are: A football club (soccer team) from the streets of Menharia, Hawassa, in Southern Ethiopia.

What we are: A new way to engage the street community and society-at-large in Ethiopia to make long term changes in the lives of the boys on the street.

How we are different

Why we started: Hawassa is full of NGOs, but still numerous kids live on the street. (That is true of Ethiopia as a whole) We do not hope to take the kids off the street and transform them through aid, but to meet them where they are and transform them through opportunity, then help them to help themselves off the street.

Practically, we have related to the boys’ own interest and subjects of understanding (like a living parable). This is how the football club formed. Through this medium, the boys are engaged and encouraged to believe, be strong, work hard, have faith, grow in love of each other, look to the future, and overcome so many challenges. It is also a very effective and unique way for them to finally be accepted into society.

{“Anbesa” is Amharic for “Lion.” The team’s slogan is from Proverbs 28:1 “…But the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Written in Amharic (the common language of Ethiopia) the translation is more dynamic, “The righteous have a heart of a lion.”}