The Ardent Children Centre is situated in the town of Bensa, in the Sidama region of Ethiopia. It was set up by our friends at Ardent Coffee Exporters and provides a home, care and support to around thirty-two orphans from the local coffee producer community.
Ashenafi and his team at Ardent Coffee, have been working with local coffee producers around Bensa for several years. They saw how children from the area, who had lost one or both of their parents, were having to move away to stay with distant relatives; leaving their home, their school, their friends and community.
Ardent provided land on their local drying station, constructed sleeping and living accommodation and opened the Centre. It is now a government-registered orphanage, employing carers, a teacher and support workers. The team at the Centre provide a caring, safe and supportive home for the children living there and, more importantly, it enables them to remain their community.
Dark Woods has been supporting the Children Centre for the last three years with a donation covers the majority of running costs. We have committed to maintaining our support for the coming years.
In late 2022, Ian visited Bensa and the Children Centre to meet with the children and team there. He found a simple, but warm, caring and safe environment, and children who had regained their chance of a positive future.
