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ABOUT US
Lalibela Project International Corp. is organized under the non-for-profit laws of the Sate of New York.
The corporation is 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue
Service Tax Code. Its partner organization is
The Love & Hope 2000 Development Association is a registered entity in Ethiopia.
Our Team
What is and what is not the Lalibela Project:
The Project is independent from any governmental, political, or religious groups' influence in its decision making and not
driven by such motivation. It promotes cultural diversity and reallocation of resources within a global society. The Lalibela
Project although envisions dedicating most of its future resources to humanitarian programs, is not intended to be a purely
charitable organization.
Why Ethiopia:
Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in Africa, devastated by
war, epidemic of AIDS, and natural disasters such as drought and flooding. There
are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia today, 11% of the country's child population
and of those, 12% of them are believed to have HIV AIDS. It is projected by the Labor and Social Ministry of Ethiopia that by 2010 43% of
the child population will be orphaned. With over half of the population reported to be under the age of 18, this represent a
serious problem for the government and aid agencies. According to United Nations officials, 18% of households are taking care
of orphans, while 6.1% of AIDS orphans are forced to beg in order to survive. Food insecurity, shortage of resources, stigma,
discrimination, and a lack of psychosocial care remain the biggest problems of orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia.
According to a recent UNICEF report, child labor and child prostitution continue to be major problems, as the level of
poverty in Ethiopia is so absolute that many families simply cannot support their own children or take on relatives’
children whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS or other illnesses. Ethiopian children are sold for as little as US$1.20
to work as domestic workers or prostitutes.
UNICEF estimates that looking after each orphaned child in Ethiopia would cost around US$300 a year, totaling some US$1.38 billion, yet the organization has less than US$10 million available. Some 300,000 children already live on the streets,
according to the United Nation body.
(For further information: International Relations and Security Network)
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