We are a passionate team with amazing partners, and a powerful mission. We started in 2003 under the name Alberta People to People HIV/AIDS Support Society (APPHASS) as a local charity based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our goal is simple: to support and care for young orphans in rural Ethiopia. Our current focus is to generate funds to support more orphans and their families that have lost someone due to HIV/AIDS. We currently support 11 children through the help of sponsors and partners such as the Health Development and Anti-Malaria Association (HDAMA) on the ground in Debre Marcos, Ethiopia. Donations to our organization are used in full to advance our two major projects: Supporting Children, and Building a Girls’ Centre.
The Story of Our Founder Rani Hussein:
As an entrepreneur, Rani’s frequent visits to Ethiopia provide a wide range of opportunities to meet with the children that we sponsor and their caregivers (grandparents or relatives). Sharing their concern at an individual level shapes the future goal of APPHASS. These visits also allow for meetings with the Director and the staff of HDAMA who overlook our programs in Ethiopia. The sponsorship program is closely monitored, with current information and status of the children frequently delivered to the Board and members.
People volunteer for wide range of reasons. My involvement is to give back something for the country which enabled me to pursue a higher level of education in Canada. APPHASS was initiated to support HIV/AIDS orphaned children in their basic needs. In our first year, a soccer program for youth and children was added. It all started when my husband and I went to Ethiopia for one year. As we explore our surroundings in the neighbourhood in Addis Ababa, we saw many kids and youth playing soccer with balls made of old cloth on a concrete ground. Many of the images I had when I was in school in Ethiopia remained unchanged; youth and cloth balls on a concrete ground. This caught our attention and inspired us to organize soccer teams for that year we planned to stay in the city. Our plan was to organize three teams with the help of local people that we developed friendship while in Addis Ababa. By word of mouth the news spread through the neighourhood. My husband and I were speechless when we were approached by 35 teams with each team housing 13 to 15 players. Observing our shock, our friend Besea responded “this is nothing had we advertised we would have been approached by over 100 teams.” My husband and I had many years of experience in coaching and coordinating soccer teams in Varsity Community, but this is beyond our capacity. And the realization of the need is not short lived, I decided to include the teams as part of APPHASS’ program which was registered to support orphaned children. -Rani Hussein
