Support Seniors in Bekoji

These elders have served their country and community without reservation. Now in their retirement age, they need a center to congregate and continue being productive citizens and contribute to the growth of their community.

Bekoji has a considerable number of Senior Citizens who are between 60 and 100 years old. These retired elders were formerly educators, farmers, soldiers, police officers, shop keepers, handymen, government employees, etc. who contributed to the strength and vitality of their community throughout their entire lives.

A Center for Bekoji Seniors

Local Seniors are looking to establish a center where they can congregate and receive resources and support that enable them to continue to live independently. The center would provide a space for these seniors to meet, share meals, and create a precious community.

This center would also help them to support themselves by running small shops, restaurants, copying services, flour mills, gardening, etc., while continuing to give back to the local community by mentoring and tutoring the youth, by practicing traditional conflict resolution, and through many other roles that are vital to their neighborhoods and traditions.

Your donation, no matter how small, will go a long way in establishing the center they so direly need. Learn more.

Ways to donate

You may donate by contributing to the GoFundMe or by wiring contributions directly to the following accounts:

  • Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (የኢዮጵ ንግድ ባንክ)  1000504727819

  • Cooperative Bank of Ethiopia (የኦሮሚያ ሕብረት ሥራ ባንክ) 1002700108798

  • Awash Bank (የአዋሽ ባንክ) 013221008124500 I

  • If you’re in the US, and you’d like to send a contribution via Venmo or Zelle please use the contact us page to get additional details.

A message from Negesse

This is an issue near and dear to my heart. I have known these elders all my life. Many of them have taught me when I was in elementary and junior high school. Many were my neighbors, big brothers, and sisters. Due to a non-existent social network, some live on a meagre pension that never grows with inflation, and many do not even have adequate means of retirement. Any help will go a long way to establishing a center that will help them generate funds as they participate in community developments. Thank you again.

“I have known these elders all my life. Many of them have taught me when I was in elementary and junior high school. Many were my neighbors, big brothers, and sisters. ”

—Negesse Gutema