Mekedonia is a non-profit organization in Ethiopia that serves over 400 elderly and mentally disabled residents, offering food, housing, and medical care. Founded by Ato Biniam Belete in 2011, the facility emphasizes compassionate care for the most vulnerable individuals, many of whom were previously homeless and destitute. Volunteers and donations are critical to Mekedonia's operations, as they continuously strive to improve the quality of care for those in need.

1. There Are 4
Mekedonia
Villages. This
One Has 400
Residents.
We Are
Welcomed At
The Gate.

2. Ephrem Giving Allan A Little Orientation

3. First We Are Shown A Video Of Volunteers Rescuing People From The
Streets Including Before and After Pictures And Stories.

4. This Man Was Living Here.
They Brought Him to Makedonia.
After A Few Weeks, Here He Is Below

5. Before Living On The Street He Is Now Helping Keep The Books At
Mekedonia

6. Before and After Pictures. They
Gave Us A Number To Call If We
See Someone On The Street In Real
Need Of Help.

7. Things They Need Donated
But Their Greatest Need
Right Now Is For Adult
Diapers.

8. All People Who Work Here Are
Volunteers. Ephrem Gave Us His Phone
Number In Case We Saw Someone To be
Picked Up.
Here Ephrem Is Reviewing Before And
After Success Stories.

9. Behind Where Ephrem Was Telling Us About The Stories Of The
People Being Rescued From The Street A Rescued Lady Is
Making Ethiopian Coffee On A Little Charcoal Stove

10. Allan Took This Picture
After Talking With Her.
Don’t Know If She
Understood But She
Nodded OK.

12. We Make Our
Way In To Shake
Hands With This
Man Who Is Very
Sick. He Could
Barely Keep His
Eyes Open.

13. There Are 400 Rescued People
Living at Mekedonia.

15. This Man Is
Sitting Beside
His
Wheelchair.
He had to
have brain
and spinal
surgery
following a
car accident.
He shook our
hand and
asked us to
pray for him.

16. A
Number
Are
Blind.

18. Ephrem Now
Takes Us To A
Different Area
of Makedonia.
Here I
Observed A
Number of
Mentally Ill
Patients
Rocking
Constantly

19. These
Patients
Are Bed
Ridden.
Note The
Wet Floor.
They Are
Given Bed
Baths In
Bed.

22. This Man Is 109 Years Old.
Notice His White Shoes
Under His Bed. He Squeezed
My Hand With Great
Strength But Didn’t Speak.
His Hat Could Tell Many Stories!

24. Wood Is Donated By
Construction Companies
And Split Up For the Fire
Inside This Building To
Prepare Meals for 400
People.

25. Chopping
Cabbage
On the Left
Soup
Smells So
Good.

26. Injera For 400 Ready To Serve With The Soup

28. We Paid Our Taxi Driver 500 Birr For
The Morning. $30.00 Canadian.
He Donated Over Half of What He
Earned For The Morning.
Our Guide Donated Half of His Day’s
Pay. We Gave All We Had With Us
And Will Be Going To The Bank To
Donate Directly To Their Bank
Account.

29. Negist Our Guide Worked In
Media And Had Done Work Here
Before So Knew We Might Like
To see Mekedonia.
He is completing a Masters now
in Psychology.

31. http://www.volunteerlinkethiopia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23&Itemid=126
MEKEDONIA - Home for the Elderly and Mentally Disabled
Founder: Ato. Biniam Belete
History
Mekedonia- Home for the Elderly and Mentally Disabled People is a non-profit organization founded by Ato Biniyam Belete
in September 2011 with the mission of alleviating the plight of destitute elderly people and people with mental disabilities by
providing food, clothing, housing and medical care. Mekedonia primarily focuses on providing care for the most helpless
and frail elderly people and people with mental illnesses, as they are the most vulnerable segment of the population in
Ethiopia. Mekedonia is a registered organization with a license number 0170.
What We Do And How We Do It
The residents of Mekedonia- Home for the Elderly and Mentally Disabled are only a small fraction of the millions of
destitute elderly and mentally-ill people living on the streets of Ethiopia. We are grateful to have been given the opportunity
to serve others but we are continuously striving to help more people and improve the quality of care provided to residents of
Mekedonia.
Mekedonia which began its services helping 35 people is now home for over 250 elderly people and people with severe
mental health problems. All residents are provided with secure and loving home where everyone lives together as one big
happy family. Our most dedicated volunteers and caring staff members provide unreserved compassionate palliative care to
all residents of Mekedonia regardless of sex, religion, ethnicity, etc
Before enrolling into Mekedonia, most residents were homeless with a very limited opportunity to survive. Mekedonia
welcomes such kinds of people in need with an open heart, to share God’s love together as a family. People who were once
hungry are now fed; once naked are now clothed; once physically and emotionally abused are now in peace and once
hopeless are now living a life filled with good memories and hopes for a bright future. Since many of our residents are bed-
ridden and terminally ill, they are also provided with assistance in toileting, mobility, bathing and other daily activities.