Alas, the threat of HIV infection and AIDS increasingly dominates everyday life in Ethiopia. The rate of HIV infection is the third highest in Africa and thus one of the highest worldwide. Though the authorities do their best to protect people by information campaigns, these have very little effect, particularly where poor people are concerned.

Because this rate is so high, countless children lose their mothers very early. Streets in the larger cities are full of these children. If they are lucky, they will be taken in by an orphanage, where they can go to school. But space is limited in an orphanage, so life there is restricted. Outings are rare and the kids have no opportunity to make friends or establish a social network outside. When they finish school at the age of 18, they are forced to leave the orphanage. What then?

Whereas the male orphans often join up in communes, housing somewhere together and existing on what they can earn for casual work, in Ethiopia's patriarchal society it is all too easy for the girls to slip, frequently under pressure, into prostitution.

If by that time they have not already picked up the disease, they will certainly be infected now, maybe because they have taken to drugs, as is often the case in this milieu. Thus the vicious circle turns. The girls end up isolated in a fringe group, living a miserable existence, and die young, leaving behind a new generation of AIDS-infected children.

WE CAN CHANGE THIS!

Help us change the life of orphan girls in Ethiopia simply by GIVING THEM A FUTURE! This is something YOU can do!

Our long-term analysis of the Ethiopian employment market showed a serious deficit of trained secretarial staff. By using the latest training curricula, conceived by the Society for Technical Cooperation we are educating girls for the future. This fulfils a double purpose: the girls are guaranteed employment and the market will obtain the qualified work force it urgently needs.

Project-E pursues the following objectives:

1) To break the chain of poverty for 15 orphan girls every year

By the choice of 15 girls every year from various orphanages in the city to be trained in a three-year programme as "Executive Secretaries". In this way the girls' future is ensured, for they are training to earn their own living. At the same time, the long-term market demand for "Executive Secretaries" will be satisfied. And orphan girls are given the chance to break out of the fatal cycle of poverty, HIV and drugs. During training the girls will be housed within socially active families and by adopting their everyday life they will gradually be reintegrated into society, learning to take onn responsibilities, to look after themselves independently and to spend their pocket-money wisely. All this will be helpful after training when they have to earn their own living.

2) Support for the role of women in society

Through its work PROJECT-E can strengthen the role of women in Ethiopia's strongly patriarchal society. Financial independence achieved by means of a well-paid job is the best prerequisite.

3) Management and implementation of the special Ethiopian programme in liaison with a local partner

As an organization conversant with Ethiopian conditions, above all with the situation of orphan children, the "New Life Community" is an ideal partner offering optimum support.

4) Training geared to future requirements to ensure the best jobs later on

Intensive training as "Executive Secretary" focuses on computer competence, fluency in English, and practical ability derived from work experience during training with several national and international organizations and business firms. Small classes as well as qualified and dedicated teachers who are familiar with local conditions ensure individual attention. Classes with less than 50 pupils seldom exist in Ethiopia.

5) Strengthening the Ethiopian cultural identity

Besides their training, the girls will be given the opportunity to explore the history and civilization of their country, thus gaining a new awareness of their cultural identity. We feel it is important to cultivate the girls' identification with their country if we are to prevent "brain drain" to other countries. PROJECT-E could be instrumental in helping the 80 Ethiopian tribes, some of them hostile to one another, to consider their common origin and responsibility for the future.

6) Integration of orphans into society

By sharing the home life of families active in society girls are re-integrated into society and learn to take on responsibility and look after themselves.