Since 2000, the SIM Urban Ministries programme has been reaching out to girls living on the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and offering them shelter, care and opportunities for a new life. The girls were living on the street for a variety of reasons; some ran away from home due to abuse, others were living on the street with their mothers, making a living by begging, and others were orphans.
Deborah House is a shelter house that offers these girls a safe place to sleep, Christian love, food and care — by paying school fees, offering medical care, teaching about HIV and AIDS, and most importantly, teaching them about the love of Christ through Bible studies and compassionate care.
With room to house 30 girls, the shelter has almost always been at capacity since it began. As they have experienced the love of God through the staff, many of the girls have changed dramatically and made commitments to follow Christ.
In order to bring more girls off the streets, the Deborah House staff is working towards reintegrating some of the girls into the community. This may be done by reuniting some of the girls with their families, by placing some in foster families or by other means.
