Empower Ethiopians to live a life beyond mere survival
“Where you live should not determine whether you live”
BASIC NEEDS
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR
The Barrier: Poverty
We all know that a fulfilling life comes not only from having what you need, but from being able to grow and help others.
In Ethiopia, many long to live a fulfilling life beyond mere survival. However, poverty keeps them struggling to survive and without opportunities to thrive.
This leaves many feeling, hopeless, forgotten, and stuck.
A way out
Project Ethiopia Benevolence is a gospel-driven non-profit that gives Ethiopians a way out of poverty by first meeting basic needs and then offering opportunities to learn, grow, and help their neighbors.
Teresa Rieder, Founder & CEO
Zekarias (Zak) Zemede, Program Director
Carran Manning, PEB Board member
A compassionate team
Like you, our hearts break when God’s people suffer. But too often when you try to help, you don’t know what your contribution actually funds – leaving you wondering if you’re making the difference you want to.
That’s why we started Project Ethiopia Benevolence. Living in an Ethiopian village for six years allowed us to form deep relationships with our neighbors there and see how much just a few dollars can impact someone’s life.
Through our on-site program director, Zak, we are able to identify needs firsthand, give to locals we know are faithful stewards, and share with you the tangible impact of your contribution.
Initiatives
Tesfa Lesewoch (Tesfa House)
“House of hope for the children”
When we discovered a group of orphaned and abandoned boys living in a drainage ditch, we felt compelled to offer them a way to a better life. Compassionate donors like you came together to establish Tesfa Lesewoch (“Tesfa House” for short) — a home where the boys have a safe place to sleep, ample food, supervision, and daily responsibilities. They also go to school, attend church, and are mentored by our program director Zak, who teaches them to ‘pay it forward’ and share the kindness they’ve received with others.
Tamirat
Tamirat is a little boy who suffers from Harlequin Ichthyosis – a rare, incurable skin disease that prohibits him from leaving his home. Abandoned by his mother, Tamirat is under the care of his father, who works nights so he can help his son during the day.
One of Tamirat’s greatest wishes was to have a birthday party. So, in keeping with neighbor helping neighbor, the Tesfa House boys, along with Zak, threw Tamirat a birthday party – complete with hats, sparklers, and cake – made possible by your donations. He was dancing with joy! Since he is unable to go to school, the boys also visit Tamirat to teach him how to read and write, like they are learning to do in school. Your generosity has truly begun a ripple effect of love and compassion that continues to spread throughout this community.
PEB has provided medical care to many local people. Malaria is a common and deadly disease, and we have provided many people with the medication necessary to help them recover. We are very fortunate to have a professional Nurse join the PEB team.
Terefe is a valued member of PEB and has helped numerous children. His compassion and willingness to volunteer his time and provide healthcare has been invaluable.
PEB wants to not only rescue abandoned children living on the street, but we want to prepare them for a hopeful future where they can support themselves. And so we have started 2 business opportunities for them.
Basic Housing and Food
During the dry season and famine, there is a great need for grain in remote villages. Donors like you provide food for hungry families during those seasons.
Matthew Abraham
Berki Banko
Berki, who is orginally from the remote bush of Southern Ethiopia, was able to go to Bible school with help from PEB. He is now ‘paying it forward’ by sharing the Gospel with the tribes in the bush. Berki shows The Jesus Movie on a sheet using a projector provided by PEB donors and translates the movie as they watch. Many tribespeople have set aside their old war-like habits and are embracing a new way of life in Jesus Christ. Berki has started over 15 churches in the dry, hostile land of that area, where he gets around on a motorcycle provided by PEB donors.
Upcoming Initiatives
Tesfa House for girls
While the Tesfa House boys now have a home, many more like them need help. The most immediate need we see is a similar home for young girls. Many have been orphaned, abandoned, or left with no shelter or protection. Another Tesfa House would meet their daily needs (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) and allow them to grow and learn, giving them a way to long-term stability.
And so, in 2024 we added a Tesfa House for 9 little girls. These girls are now safe from trafficking and other horrors. They are enrolled in school, attend church every week and have bonded together into the Tesfa family.
Wora & Aster
Wora and Aster are the parents of three children. Their family lives on the edge of the town dump and is often sick as a result of their living conditions. Their father has Tuberculosis and recurring Malaria, making him unable to work.
After establishing a Tesfa House for girls we began building a house for Wora and Aster and family. To carry on in the long term goal of neighbor helping neighbor, we hired a local man we knew to build their house. This family is so proud of their new home and the father told us with tears in his eyes “I can die happy now because my family is taken care of.”
Barbershop
Thanks to the generosity of donors, PEB was able to rent a place to establish a barbershop. The idea is that the boys can work in the barbershop after school and weekends. With the help of our professional barber, Ashenafi, eventually they will learn how to cut hair. Some of the girls could also do this! This would offer them a very nice living once they ‘age out’ of Tesfa House.
Abel learning to cut hair by practicing on his Tesfa brother.
Sewing Business
A very big problem for women in third world countries is dealing with their monthly menstrual cycles. Many of them have to drop out of school once they start having periods. We want to empower girls to be able to safely deal with their monthly periods and continue to get the education they deserve. And so, we are teaching the girls to sew and make re-usable cloth period pads. They will then sell these period pads in the marketplace.
Teaching schoolgirls about monthly periods and these pads.
PEB will help the Tesfa children to open up their own bank account, and encourage them to save the monies they earn from the barbershop and sewing business.
We have ideas for more projects like these, but we need the help of monthly donors to help start them up.
Some Of Our Project Dreams Are:
- A larger compound and house for all the children to be housed together.
- Purchase a keyboard so the Tesfa Children’s choir can go to various churches and get paid for leading the singing. This could lead to more job opportunities for them.
- Transportation- currently, they walk wherever they need to go. However, getting 18 children to a particular place is difficult if its a long distance. Someday we dream of getting a mini van.
- Purchasing malaria nets – A person living below poverty levels has a difficult decision to make: buy food for their family or buy medicine to get well. Unfortunately, many people die, leaving their families in even worse shape, with no breadwinner. It is a crushing choice, leaving many in despair with no hope for a future.
- Coffee exports- Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee! One of our evangelists (Matthew) Is currently raising a coffee orchard. PEB sent him pruning tools and money for coffee seedlings. Now they are ready to start exporting the coffee. We need someone who knows coffee to help in this project.
- Purchasing mattresses for women in prison- In Ethiopia, women who are in prison are housed in the same prison as the men. It is very crowded in the women’s section. Most of them are forced to bring their children to live with them in prison. If they cannot find a relative to care for their children, they can either abandon them or bring them to prison.
Some of these children are growing up in prison. It breaks our hearts….. They sleep on broken down bunkbeds, old mattresses infested with bugs, or no mattress at all. $3000.00 would buy new mattresses for 120 women and children.
We identify needs. You make the difference.
There are plenty of ways to offer hope besides donating. Click here to learn more.
- Spread the word. Tell your friends, family, and organizations about the work God is doing through PEB. Contact us to set up a speaking engagement at your church or organization.
- Volunteer. PEB is currently in need of a bookkeeper to help our books stay organized and transparent as we grow. Your volunteer time can also be used as a tax exemption.
- Pray. Pray for the safety of the evangelists in a hostile environment. Pray for the children of Tesfa House. Pray for wisdom for the Board of PEB.
Our commitment to you
- When you give to PEB, you can rest assured your gift won’t get lost in administrative costs. All donations go directly to daily essentials and growth opportunities.
- We’ll show you the impact of your gift through photos and periodic newsletters.
- The end goal of all of our initiatives is “neighbor helping neighbor.” We teach recipients to pay it forward by using the resources and skills they’ve been given to care for their neighbors in need.
If you would like to help in any of these projects, please either email me ttrieder@gmail.com for more information, or make a donation directly through this website at the DONATE button.
