A family foundation · Addis Ababa
About Us
Who we are, why the Foundation exists, and the man it is named for.
This foundation carries the name of Shimeles Abera, and it was built by the people who loved him deeply.
It is not a large organization. It is started by his Family members in Addis Ababa who decided that the gap between what a family needs on their worst day and what they can actually reach is a gap somebody should stand in.
How we work
Someone applies, or someone tells us about a neighbour. We look at it properly. If we can help, we help, and we record where the money went, down to the hospital and the date, because a nonprofit that cannot show that has not earned the next gift.
Video 1 of 5
Mission & Vision
Our Mission
To stand with families in Ethiopia through medical hardship, old age, mental strain and the cost of education, with practical help and with presence.
Our Vision
An Ethiopia where a medical emergency does not bankrupt a family, an elder is not alone, asking for help with your mental health costs nothing socially, and a child stays in school regardless of what their family earns.
Nobody should face the hardest days alone.
Shimeles Abera - ሽመልስ አበራ
Shimeles Abera was a kind and caring person who had a special way of making people feel seen, valued, and supported. He was generous with his time, his heart, and his kindness, and he cared deeply about his family, friends, and the people around him. Throughout his life, Shimeles touched the lives of family, friends, colleagues, and members of his community through the way he cared, encouraged, and supported others.
Whether through a helping hand, a word of encouragement, or simply being present when someone needed him, he demonstrated that meaningful change often begins with compassion for another person. Shimeles was taken from us far too soon. His life ended before it had the opportunity to reach its full measure, leaving behind memories, unfinished dreams, and countless people who continue to feel his absence. Yet, the values he lived by remain with us.
The Shimeles Abera Foundation was established in his honor to carry those values forward. In this way, Shimeles’ legacy is not defined only by the years he lived, but by the lives that can be touched because of the values he left behind.
May his memory continue to inspire us to care, to serve, and to give.
What we are building next
A free hospital
A hospital where the question at the door is what is wrong with you, not what you can pay.
Tuition-free boarding schools
A network of boarding schools for children whose potential is currently limited by their postcode and their family income.
Senior citizen centres
Places where elders are expected, known by name, and missed when they do not arrive.