EveryChild: Ethiopia – Addis Boys

In Ethiopia, increasing migration to the cities, poverty, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic has left a whole generation of already vulnerable children alone, living in poverty without the care of their families and communities. In the cities thousands of children sleep rough on the streets.

The Mercato area of Addis is one of the largest markets in Africa, and is a maze of narrow streets, market stalls, brothels, and slums. The district is full of people living on the street. There are many street gangs, who prey on others who sleep on the street. They attack them, steal what little money they have, and rape them too. The children have to band together to protect themselves against the criminals.