Awake and Alive

Awake & Alive is a champion for educating children in Ethiopia, Africa. The children and families served by Awake & Alive in the Kechene slum (located in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa) are among the poorest and most marginalized people in Ethiopia. Some call them cursed. Awake & Alive calls them blessed.

Awake & Alive was founded in Goshen, Indiana by two adoptive mothers—Danielle Black and Jolene Shrock. To further its purpose, Awake & Alive has partnered with Bright Future, a highly reputable Ethiopian nonprofit organization. Together, Awake & Alive and Bright Future opened a school in Kechene for 35 (now 207 in 2019-2020) of the poorest and most marginalized children in Ethiopia. Currently, the all-Ethiopian staff provides full educational services for 4 to 9-year-old children, a large majority of which are orphans or half-orphans (one parent deceased). In addition, Bright Future provides medical and general health education for the widows of the half-orphan students.

Partnering with Bright Future to open an academy has been no small feat, but Awake & Alive has much bigger dreams for the people of Kechene and beyond.