Overview
Alem Children Support Organization (ACSO) is an indigenous and officially registered charity organization. It was found by a philanthropist lady named W/zo Alemnesh Mogessie and her family members in 1994. ACSO was established as a response to the humanitarian crisis that occurred following the downfall of the Derg regime with the aim of addressing the plights of abandoned and neglected children. Currently it operates in Nefas Silk Lafeto sub city within Addis Abeba Administration and in three Kebeles of Bahir Dar town in Amhara Regional State. It implements integrated programs serving children and their caretakers (mostly mothers) as well as communities in its target Kebeles. ACSO provides children with education, health and supplementary feeding services for a total of 1700 children in Addis Abeba and Bahir Dar. ACSOs programme reach in the capital of Amhara regional state targets 330 disadvantaged children, 100 marginalized Woieto Tribe and 260 non-Woieto poor mothers in the peripheries of Bahir Dar town known as Shimbit, Tana and Fasilo Kebeles. In total, it supports 650 women caretakers organized in to seven self help groups in the two operational regions. The aim is economic empowerment of poorest of the poor families, mainly the mothers, through skill training and micro credit. ACSOs community support services extend from installation of water points, community showers to construction of public toilets.