What is the goal of A Bright Future for Kids?

To meet the needs of the communities where ABF4K is serving currently (Ethiopia and Kenya) from a holistic approach- physically, spiritually, and socially. We may help meet some short-term needs, but our goal is not to feed people continuously, but enable them to care for themselves over the long term. 

Will my involvement or sponsorship help accomplish for the families?

Our teams on the ground in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Meru, Kenya identifies children and their families in critical situations. Through sponsorships, we help them get on their feet and learn how to sustain themselves. For example, we might help a child who is malnourished, and therefor unable to attend school. Through sponsorships, we can come in and connect him with the food and medical resources he needs to get back in school. Then the long-term goal is to help him and his family sustain themselves.

What else does ABF4K do?

Sponsorship open the door for hope. but it’s just part of what we do. We also work to help each family identify its own assets and strengths, and then support them as they embark on a journey to nurture and grow those assets. That may be in the form of helping them start a microenterprise by providing start-up funding and training, or it may be a referral to existing training or assistance in finding a job they are qualified to do already. As we work in communities we partner with our indigenous team to identify resources in the community and connect them to the most vulnerable citizens, the children.

How do you identify the children/families you plan to help?

We have 2 teams on the ground in Ethiopia and Kenya. These are Christ-centered leaders in the church with a burning passion to see a different future for their communities and countries. These teams assess each family and work with the family to develop a plan based on its existing assets. The plan may include cash assistance, food assistance, health care advocacy, micro grants or loans and educational opportunities to help the family achieve its goal of self sufficiency. The teams will constantly be assessing the community for needs and opportunities to help. 

How will sponsorship help children/families in the long term?

Our first priority will be to support children and guarantee them the opportunity to continue going to school. We will also be training their family for a trade and teaching them how to manage their money and the resources around them. We will provide training through the local churches to empower families so they can sustain their trade and keep their family fed, clothed, and in school. Micro-enterprise is one of the ways we will help this sustainability.

Since this is a Christian organization, how does the spiritual aspect come into play?

One of the top priorities for the team here and on the ground in Ethiopia and Kenya is prayer. The work will be done by God. As we pray for resources to be there and see those prayers answered, we will share what God is doing. Of course, much of the training and resource connecting there will be done through the churches. We believe our actions and prayer will show them Christ.

Tell me about your organization’s structure and accountability.

A Bright Future for Kids is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization incorporated in the state of Kansas. We have a volunteer board of directors and a President and Founder Solomon Dabe. The board of directors oversees the organization, raises funds and monitors the financial transparency and accountability for the organization. The directory in Kenya work directly with Solomon and helping to identify participating families in .Ethiopia and Kenya. These directory assist the families in developing a plan, coordinating education and advocacy for each of the families and distributing the funds to families receiving cash assistance. We have several partner organization, the list of which can be obtained by visiting our website: https://abrightfutureforkids.org/partners-affiliates/

How did your organization start?

Our president and founder is Solomon Dabe, an Ethiopian who has a passion for helping children and families in that country and beyond, as the organization expands. Solomon grew up on the streets in Addis Ababa, so he understands the challenges many families face in Ethiopia. But he also knows there are many opportunities to connect families with the resources they need to forever change their future to one full of hope. Read more about Solomon’s story on our website: https://abrightfutureforkids.org/solomons-story/