The AFC Children’s Home was created to provide comprehensive (medical, educational, nutritional, and emotional) care for HIV-positive double orphans in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Our children, due to their age, history of abuse, or advanced stage of disease at the time of admission, were not considered by other organizations.

We provide excellent services to our children.  We guarantee that every child is enrolled in school, receives routine physicals, and is provided antiretroviral medications.  In addition, we see to it that our children engage in extracurricular activities aimed at fostering their creativity and preparing them for the real world.

The Need for the AFC Home

The United Nations estimates that nearly 1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.  An estimated 100,000 children between the ages of 0-14 are infected.  650,000 children have been orphaned because of the virus.  Currently, many organizations designed to care for orphans have reached maximum capacity, and the pace of their expansion does not match the increasing demand.  In addition, only a small number of these organizations accept HIV-positive children, and in most cases even these few have numerous restrictions (e.g., discriminating by age, disability) that limit the number and types of children accepted.

We believe these children, in particular, have the potential to become functional, effective members of society, but they require support and guidance, as all children do. Lacking appropriate medical treatments and basic resources, many HIV-positive children will not survive even three years after contracting the virus.  However, with prompt and consistent medical treatment, proper nutrition, and a sanitary living space, the lifespan of a child may increase by decades.  In fact, in places where HIV care is routinely accessible, HIV is now regarded as a chronic, yet manageable disease.  With proper care, HIV-positive children have the potential not only to survive but to thrive, becoming valuable contributors to their community and society.  These children have immense potential.  But they can’t fulfill it alone.