Ethiopia Facts

As you look around, in many parts of Ethiopia, there is far too much of this represented by children who because of the devastation of AIDS/HIV, malnutrition, and disease have become little adults...

Ethiopia is a country steeped in history.  While everyone in Ethiopia is not affected by poverty, the vast majority struggles from day-to-day to meet the basic necessities of life.  Ethiopians are an absolutely beautiful people -- inside and out.  Most Ethiopians that I have had the pleasure of meeting, take hospitality to another level.  Often times, no matter what is happening in their life - despite their circumstances, you will see the joy of life in their eyes and heart.

Ethiopia: The Whole Picture from Paul Hassell on Vimeo.

....and as with the Lehman family below and we pray for ours as well, starting with adoption often spurs adoptive parents to go back to their child's birth country and give back to that nation in a meaningful way...

Gobena Coffee Story from Danae Lehman on Vimeo.

Population:  81 million

Life Expectancy:  49 years old

Under age 5 mortality rate:  123/1,000

Literacy rate:  36%

Access to safe water:  22%

Average annual income:  US$180

·         Ethiopia has had a long history of agricultural innovation, but vast deforestation in recent years has contributed to soil erosion and loss of nutrients in the soil.

·         Major crops include coffee, potatoes, grain, sorghum, and castor beans. Ethiopia’s natural resources consist of small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, natural gas, and hydropower.

·         The second most populous country in Africa, Ethiopia has 70 different people groups, with more than 80 different languages spoken.

·         More than 38 percent of Ethiopians live below the poverty line, and 23 percent live on less than a dollar a day.

·         The country ranks in the bottom seven percent globally in annual per capita income.  Poverty is paramount and widespread and often is linked to the degradation of the environment and natural resources.

·         Sixth largest number of people (approximately 1 million) living with HIV and AIDS of any country in the world. There are 575,000 children who have been orphaned due to AIDS-related deaths of parents. As a result, more children need to stay home to take care of their fragmented families.

Only 26 percent of Ethiopia’s children attend secondary school.

The effects of a severe macroeconomic imbalance, civil war, a social crisis involving millions of displaced persons, and a succession of devastating famines began to manifest themselves in the early 1980s. Four major famines occurred in that decade, killing approximately 2 million people. In each case, international donors provided millions of tons of food aid. Today, a high level of food insecurity still exists due to drought, environmental degradation, and ongoing flooding.




*Statistics taken from World Vision (www.worldvision.org).  World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.  They serve close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.