Notes from the Field: March 2025

Recent program updates from Holt-supported family strengthening and orphan care programs around the world!

Ethiopia

One of Holt’s local partners in Ethiopia, Sele-Enat, recently organized a Cancer Awareness Day in central Ethiopia, which many families in the community attended. Cancer is a public health crisis in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy are not widely available, leaving families with few options for their affected loved ones. Sele-Enat’s Cancer Awareness Day event brought families together and provided hope for many. Medical professionals specializing in oncology gave presentations and led discussions for the attendees.

Sele-Enat also recently launched a community awareness campaign for children with autism. Autism is widely misunderstood in Ethiopia, leading to a severe shortage of services for children with this condition. Sele-Enat is working to educate the community about autism and autism spectrum disorder to promote inclusivity and understanding for all children and families. Raising awareness and providing education helps equip caregivers with the knowledge to offer the best care for every child and their needs.

Our partner, Sele-Enat, cares for children with autism and other developmental disabilities at their orphanage. They receive nutrition and medical support through Holt’s Child Nutrition Program, education support, as well as recreational and experiential activities to meet their social and psychological needs. Inclusive education is a priority for Holt and Sele-Enat to ensure children with disabilities and other special needs have access to learning environments in which they can thrive. Through the autism advocacy, Holt and Sele-Enat work to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder with the larger community. This helps to reduce stigma, inform parents, caregivers and educators about the needs of autistic children and ensure families are accessing education and other services they may need. This type of advocacy is essential to preserve and strengthen families, and it would not be possible without the support from Holt sponsors and donors.

India

Holt-supported students enrolled in higher education programs in Pune and Aurangabad recently took a field trip to explore careers in manufacturing. Through Holt’s local partner organization, Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra (BSSK), Holt sponsors and donors help support these students and join BSSK in their efforts to empower young people growing up in difficult circumstances in India.

The field trip included hands-on experiences and allowed students to observe vehicle production, robotic automation and other industrial technologies up close. The field trip inspired the students to develop their professional skills and explore possible careers paths. For children in Holt programs, experiences like these help broaden their horizons beyond the limited career opportunities they witnessed growing up in impoverished slum communities. This is especially true for many girls in India, who face greater gender discrimination and also marriage at a young age.

With the support of Holt sponsors and donors, BSSK has worked to change that since 1979. Through Holt sponsorships, educational workshops, career field trips and other support, children receive the tools they need to succeed and thrive.

Uganda

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, with a median age of 16.2 years. And in the rural villages where Holt sponsors and donors support children, more than 30 percent of children ages 6 to 9 have never attended primary school.

Education is expensive in Uganda. The cost of school fees, books, supplies and uniforms is too high for families living in poverty. In rural areas, schools may also be too far for some children to walk to, and few families can afford boarding school fees.

Thanks to Holt sponsors and donors, our team in Uganda recently provided scholastic materials and school uniforms for 904 children at Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centers. ECCD teachers also received teaching materials for the term, and the schools received food items such as fortified flour, sugar, eggs and bananas for mid-morning meals.

Your generosity not only provides nutritious meals each day for children in need — but also helps them focus in school, where both attendance and grades have improved!

Colombia

Holt partner Bambi in Colombia has served children and caregivers in an impoverished area of the city for more than 22 years, thanks to sponsor and donor support.

Bambi works to keep children with their birth parents, offering interventions and support to lift families out of poverty and prevent children from being separated from their families. Bambi provides vulnerable parents and caregivers with access to education, job training and childcare to help them gain financial independence and create a safe environment for their children. Caregivers can enroll in vocational courses, such as baking, sewing and cosmetology, or receive support to complete their secondary education. Parents and caregivers also have access to financial literacy and business training, weekly counseling and parenting groups with staff psychologists.

To ensure these caregivers can complete their education and training, Bambi provides 24/7 flexible childcare with health and nutrition screenings and early childhood education for children under age 5. Recently, Holt sponsors and donors helped to ensure the children in the daycare program received wellness and development checks. These evaluations help caregivers cater to the needs of each child and set goals for their development.