Makalle

Country information

The SOS Children's Village of Makalle is located on the road leading from the salt desert to Makalle, the capital of the province of Tigrai. The climate of Tigrai, the oldest populated province of Ethiopia, is agreeable, but very dry. The dams built to ensure the Children's Village's water supply are also of great importance for the surrounding area. The SOS Children's Village of Makalle is situated about 4 km from the city centre and comprises 20 duplex family houses, single-family houses, a Village Director's house, a Community House, a sewing room, a SOS clinic, a Primary School and a SOS Kindergarten. There is an additional SOS Kindergarten in the city, too. The older teenagers live in the Youth Home where they can stay as long as they undergo training or attend school. In order to facilitate reintegration into society they are assisted within the frame of a Youth Support Programme. Thanks to the dams, a cattle farm, which also cultivates cattle-feed and vegetables, was established. It covers not only a considerable part of the SOS Children's Village's own needs, but it is also run on a commercial basis.