Ethio-Village is a non-profit   organization which was started in 2008 in San Jose by several individuals who felt a sense of responsibility and desire to reach impoverished communities abroad to provide educational services. Ethio-Village members have engineering, business, social science, pharmaceutical and legal education background and most work full time.

Girma Aweke (center, in picture above) is an Electrical Engineer and founder of the Ethio Village. Presently he is the Vice Chair of the company is very passionate and devoted to his work. He always wanted to make a difference in the local community and in Africa. His dynamic leadership makes this company a success.

Locally, Ethio-Village provides multifaceted services in the areas of Career, Youth Development, Community Support, Fund Raising and Business Development to the Ethiopean community They assist individuals in transition, providing information and resources to enable them to achieve their career goals. They facilitate mentoring and instruction to enable high school and college students to achieve their educational goals.

Internationally, Ethio-Village has established one school in Shashemene, Ethiopia that supports 120 children. 

As a new non-profit organization, they sought a business mentor to provide advice and fundraising strategies. The fact that SCORE provides expert confidential business advice free of charge led them to meet with SCORE counselors Jerry Jenson and John Edwards .After their meeting with SCORE counselors, they updated their bylaws and board roles and responsibilities.

“SCORE Counselor Edwards outlined the ABC’s of fundraising and since then we have had a successful community fundraising event. We are so happy to say that SCORE has always been there for us.”

Their goal for 2011 is to raise $49,000 by July.  This fund is going to support the new school  in Ethiopia that opened in 2010. The school has 120 children and if they accomplish the fund raising goal, the 120 children will be guaranteed their education for 7 years, or until  all of them finish 6th grade.“Our strategy is to open a school once a year for 100 to 200 children.  As soon as we make the funds available to the current school, we will open another school in August 2011.

To achieve this we need continuous support and guidance from SCORE. The story ends with lots of hopes and satisfaction.