Despair changes to hope

Melkamu Debebe once walked the streets of Hawassa, Ethiopia, with no home and nowhere to turn. He had left his family due to poverty, thinking he might find a way to survive on his own. Instead, he found hunger, fear, and the cold pavement of a shop veranda where he curled up one night, only to be arrested for simply trying to sleep. His days were filled with uncertainty, and each night came with no promise of safety.

Everything began to shift when he connected with the ChildSPACE program, run by GOAL and local partners. There he was given shelter, meals, emotional support, and a chance to learn a skill. He started shining shoes, then began selling socks and small items. He worked ten hours a day, saved money, paid his own rent, helped his younger brother, and even enrolled in night school. Melkamu didn’t just get help, he built something with it. And now, the boy who once slept on concrete carries a quiet dignity, walking through the same city with purpose and pride.

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