Philanthropist donates villa to humanitarian center

By Tadesse Gebremariam

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Mary Joy Humanitarian Center, a local non-governmental organization working on the betterment of the society in humanitarian and developmental assistance of the needy people across the nation, has been granted ground plus one villa in Addis Ababa worth an estimated four million birr by an Ethiopian philanthropist.

Sara Andargachew, the philanthropist who has been residing in Washington DC for the past fifteen years, was first employed by the Ethiopian Airlines and later on joined the US Airways and the Continental Airways respectively. She pledged to the centre the villa that she built in Ayat district in Addis Ababa. She also granted her condo apartment located in Hawassa town for Macedonia Shelter of the Mentally Ill people found in the capital.

Sister Zebider Zewdie, founder and head of Mary Joy, received the gift, expressing her gratitude to the philanthropist and praised her for her unconditional assistance by citing her exemplary commitment to help the poor. The founder said that she had done the same in contributing money and clothing for malnourished children. Mary Joy operates its humanitarian and developmental assistance in over 16 towns and villages with over 50,000 orphans and vulnerable children  receiving aid for their living. USAID is the main partner in helping some 22,000 of them while other local and international organizations take care of the rest of the children in the organization.

The founder and manager of the organization said that over 1.6 million people have benefited from the health, water, and developmental projects carried out by the organization so far. On the occasion of the handing over ceremony she called upon the rest of her compatriots to follow the example.

Source: The Reporter