In 2004, two childhood friends who had been raised in Ethiopia visited a remote village in one of the most impoverished areas of Ethiopia. Their initial plan was to help the struggling village school. However, they realized that the community’s challenges required a more comprehensive program of support.
Overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of the extreme poverty, they organized a town meeting to get input from the community. Several hundred people turned out to identify their needs and to help prioritize solutions. From this initial meeting, Debo was born.
Since its inception, Debo has grown exponentially, with empowering stakeholders being the key to its success. The families we help are active participants in shaping their own lives through our programs. We have provided educational and economic development assistance, ensuring they have the tools and support to succeed. Today as we continue our comprehensive approach, we work closely with communities to set priorities that will allow them to succeed into the future. The experience and knowledge we have gained allows us to implement programs with more efficiency and transparency. Every penny raised by Debo is used to fund projects in education, microfinance, health, reforestation and clean water.
