Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to your frequently asked questions about Compassion International, what we do, the community we serve, and more.
About Elah Foundation
Learn how Elah Foundation provides comprehensive support and protection to children with disabilities under the age of 15.
What is Elah Foundation?
Elah Foundation is a sustainable, dedicated non-profit initiative focused on empowering children with physical impairments and disabilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We care for the most vulnerable members of our society—mind, body, and spirit—through community-based programs designed to foster independence, dignity, and long-term societal integration. By removing social barriers and providing critical care, inclusive education support, and physical aids, children are empowered to unlock their potential.
What is the mission of Elah Foundation?
Our mission is to protect the fundamental rights of children with disabilities, tackle the physical and social difficulties they encounter daily, prevent rights violations, and safeguard their continuous psychological and physical development.
Is Elah Foundation a registered nonprofit organization?
Yes, Elah Foundation is a fully registered, independent non-governmental organization operating under civil society guidelines in Ethiopia.
Who founded the Elah Foundation?
The foundation was co-founded by Abrahamu and a dedicated team of community advocates who recognized the critical gap in early-intervention care and societal protection for young children facing severe physical impairments.
Where is Elah Foundation headquartered?
Our primary administrative office and community coordination hub are located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
About Our Individual Child Campaigns
See how our localized child sponsorship and target campaigns work to uplift children in need.
How does Elah’s child campaign model work?
Through our individual campaign tracking, Elah directly bridges the gap between loving global sponsors and vulnerable children living within local sub-cities. We identify children under 15 with severe mobility or physical limitations, establish their specific yearly care costs (education, medical, and emotional), and track that funding transparently. This targeted model ensures every single dollar directly translates into tangible support for that specific child.
What specific care does a child receive?
We provide a comprehensive, holistic care model tailored to each child’s unique needs:
Physical Support: Personalized fittings for prosthetic limbs, custom orthotics, wheelchairs, and consistent physical therapy.
Inclusive Education: School enrollment support, specialized learning materials, and accessible transport to keep them in the classroom.
Psychological Safety: Professional emotional counseling to build resilience and fight the trauma of social isolation and stigma.
Does each child have only one primary sponsor?
To maximize impact and build deep human connections, our primary goal is matching a child with dedicated sponsors who track their personal milestones. However, our open-campaign model also allows community members to pitch in and fund larger, urgent medical needs like complex orthopedic surgeries or specialized prosthetic adjustments.
Donations & Financial Stewardship
Learn how we steward every resource wisely to ensure your generosity directly builds a sustainable future.
Is Elah Foundation a trustworthy organization?
Transparency is the cornerstone of our sustainability strategy. We hold ourselves to rigorous financial compliance standards, managing detailed expense tracking and administrative transparency. Regular internal reviews ensure that all donor funds are directly allocated to field operations, medical equipment procurement, and child support services.
Does Elah send financial cash directly to families?
To ensure maximum accountability, we do not distribute unconditional cash. Instead, resources are deployed directly to purchase personalized physical aids, pay medical providers, cover school fees, and directly fund professional psychological and educational programs for the children.
What is the ultimate goal for a child graduating from your program?
Our ultimate benchmark of success is independence and dignity. We measure our impact by ensuring that by the time a child transitions out of our care, they are physically mobile, emotionally resilient, fully educated, and actively participating as valuable, self-sufficient members of their community and nation.