About us
DMV For Dessie
About Us
Helping families, single mothers, school age children, orphans, the elderly and the bedridden/people with disabilities, one family at a time.
Who We Are:
We are a non-profit organization catering to the needs of single mothers, the elderly, the sick, and orphans in Dessie – the fourth largest city of Ethiopia located in the conflict ravaged north. Our organization was founded on the heels of the conflict in the area that resulted in humanitarian crises of untold proportion. Millions have been displaced, and over 500k have lost their lives. Houses were burnt down, and Infrastructures were destroyed. Millions were left destitute and helpless overnight. We are Ethiopian-Americans who at one time or another in our life had experienced the effects of similar conflicts and know how it feels firsthand.
Our Vision
Our aim is to make sure that children are not going to school with empty stomachs and without adequate school supplies; that orphans do not feel abandoned. We believe the elderly who are too old to work and have lost their lifetime savings during the conflict should not worry about their next meal; and Kids whether orphaned or not should not be left to fend off for themselves. We believe that parents who lost everything and could not put food on the table should get a helping hand to feed their family. Our vision is also to help the needy imagine a better tomorrow and see hope in the horizon.
Our Mission
Our core mission is to minimize the psychological effects of poverty and reduce the level of stress on parents who are forced by circumstances to send their kids to school with empty stomachs, inadequate school supplies and tattered clothing on their backs. We believe that school age children – the future of their nation – should be able to focus on their studies with minimal distractions. Due to the enormity of the burden on the community in Dessie, we want to make sure the sick and the elderly are not left by themselves unattended. We are also trying to encourage self-sufficiency by providing seed money or capital to single mothers and others to establish small businesses such as neighborhood stores or other services.
DMV
What We Do
As a 501(c) organization, we raise money through annual fundraising events and donations online. However, our main source of fund is the monthly contribution we collect from members of the organization. We have volunteers on the ground in Dessie who help us assess the needy to determine their eligibility. The volunteers also constantly evaluate the situation of the recipients to make sure the money of the organization is spent wisely.
The assistance could be a onetime event to satisfy an emergency need or on regular basis for the chronically needy: the elderly, the very sick or people with disabilities, orphans, and indigent single mothers, etc. We have special allowances for the needy we support during religious holidays for both Muslims and Christians so that they would not feel depressed as they have already gone through harrowing experiences. We care for their well-being as much as possible