Permanent Solutions For Lasting Change
The Story Of The Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation Ltd
Our Vision for Lasting Change
What began as a family journey grew into a mission. Out of this calling, we established the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation Ltd, an Australian Federal Government approved Foreign Aid Fund. Our vision is to break the shackles of poverty by arming children with an education, providing them with the freedom to build their own futures, restore dignity and create lasting change for their families and communities.
Beyond primary and secondary education, our commitment extends to young adults with the ambition to pursue university studies and trade apprenticeships, providing them with agency over their lives. At the same time, we seek to stand beside the elderly—those who have given so much yet are often left behind. No matter the stage of life, the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation seeks to provide a helping hand to uplift those most in need.
From Ethiopia to Australia, our family has grown and with it our purpose has become clearer. We believe that poverty is not a destiny that a child is born into, it is a chain that can be broken. Through education, opportunity and compassion, we are committed to loosening those shackles. What began in love continues in service, driven by the hope that we can build brighter futures and restore hope — one child, one family, one community at a time. Until dignity replaces despair, and hope becomes a lived reality.
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Our Journey from a Family to a Foundation
2009 - Our First Steps
Our founders, Peter and Michelle travel to Ethiopia for the very first time. Visiting countless orphanages, they felt compelled to make a difference in the life of one child. What they didn’t yet realise was that this experience would ignite a journey to change the lives of many more. Unknowingly, they had also planted the very first seed of what would become the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation Ltd.
2010 - A Family Begins
Peter and Michelle returned to Addis Ababa and visited Kibebe Tsehay orphanage, where they replaced all of the mattresses. They also donated essential items to private orphanages, including baby formula and fresh fruit and vegetables. At the time, our founders were simply responding to what they saw in front of them, doing what they could to help. In the process, they began to understand the quiet but lasting impact of thoughtful, practical care.
On Mother’s Day, they learned that a beautiful little girl named Meron, in need of a family, had been allocated to them from Kibebe Tshaey. This act of love strengthened their connection to Ethiopia in ways they did not yet understand. Bec and Ben joined their parents at the allocated court date, where they formally welcomed their new sister into the family. Another quiet step along a path that was now beginning to take shape.
2011 - Continuing to Support
This year was centred on ensuring Meron settled into her new home, while remaining deeply connected to Ethiopia. Alongside this, Peter and Michelle began supporting other Australian expatriate families navigating adoption from Ethiopia, sharing guidance so more children could be placed into loving homes. Practical support also continued on the ground, with aid sent to Ethiopia including laptops for students and direct financial assistance.
2012 - Returning to Ethiopia
Peter and Michelle returned to Addis Ababa with significant aid to support children in need. This included the purchase of nursing couches for Sister Zanabetch to use in caring for the children at Kibebe Tshaey, alongside other essential supplies. It was during this visit that they met a young boy named Caleb. At the time, they could not have known that this brief meeting would later place him at the very centre of their family and their journey.
2013 - A Family Complete
In 2013, Peter and Michelle adopted Caleb, welcoming him into their family. With Meron and their four older children, their family was now complete, and their journey of love and connection continued to grow, shaping the purpose that would one day become the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation.
2014 - Growing Together
Throughout 2014, Caleb was settling into his new home, becoming part of a growing family. Aid continued to be sent to Ethiopia in a sustained effort to support children and communities in need. It was also during this year that the idea of reconnecting with Meron and Caleb’s biological parents began to take shape.
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2015 - A Miracle in Addis
In 2015, Rebecca travelled with her grandmother, Joy, back to Addis Ababa, where in what we can only describe as a miracle, they located Meron’s biological mother, Adernech. They also discovered her two daughters, Kalu and Rediet, with a third, Selam, on the way — Meron’s half-sisters. Faced with this reality, the family could not turn away.
2016 - The Power of Education
After learning of the stark reality of poverty experienced by Meron’s mother and sisters, Michelle and Peter began supporting Adernech and her daughters, placing Kalu, Rediet, and Selam in a private school. It was through this experience that our founders learned the profound power education can have in shaping lives. Children in private schools in Ethiopia are estimated to be ten times more likely to progress to university than those in government schools. This experience demonstrated that education is the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty, not as a temporary fix, but as a pathway to independence, dignity and a future that can stand on its own.
2017 - Acts of Love
It was during this time that we became aware of two individuals, named Mastot and Mrs Barchika, who had taken Meron off the streets when she was just three years old and cared for her. Even though she was not their own, they chose to care and protect her. It was this act of blind love that inspired us. And it was through this act that the first seed of the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation began to sprout.
2018 - Love in Action
Inspired by the actions of Mrs Barchika and Mastot, we purchase their son a bus, enabling him to provide for his household. This was a shift towards empowerment rather than short-term relief—a principle that continues to guide our foundation.
2019 to 2021 - Challenges of COVID-19
The arrival of COVID-19 brought immense challenges. Funds became harder to raise, and sending aid to Ethiopia grew complex and inconsistent. Despite these barriers, we continued to provide support wherever we could. It was through this hardship that we realised these acts of giving could be more than occasional assistance — they could be formalised, structured, and sustained. This understanding led to the idea of creating a foundation that could coordinate support, extend opportunity, and make a lasting difference for children and families in Ethiopia.
2022 to 2023 - Meron reunites with her birth Mother
During this period, Meron, Michelle, and nine other women travelled to Ethiopia, where they were reunited with Meron’s biological family. The visit also allowed the group to observe firsthand the challenges facing communities and to educate themselves on the actions the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation would need to take to provide meaningful, lasting support.
It was during this time that the formal process of registering the Foundation as a Foreign Aid Fund with the ATO began, with the guidance and support of Baker McKenzie and the DBO. These steps marked the transition from years of personal experience and small acts of aid into a structured organisation capable of creating lasting impact.
2024 - Foundation Registered as an Official Foreign Aid Fund
All the years of giving, learning, and overcoming challenges came together when the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation was officially registered as a Foreign Aid Fund. This milestone marked the culmination of a journey that began with small acts of care and a single family’s love, now formalised into an organisation capable of creating lasting impact for children, families, and communities in Ethiopia.
2025 - First Official Foundation Visit to Ethiopia
In 2025, the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation made its first official visit to Ethiopia. Meron, Max, and Archie travelled to deliver aid that had been fundraised and generously donated. Support included school uniforms, toiletries, iPhones, cash contributions to orphanages and hospitals, and additional items kindly donated by John from Ropers Seaside Pharmacy. It was this visit that brought the Foundation’s work to life. Our reward was seen in the stability and comfort that financial support can provide to the people of Ethiopia. But our greatest reward came in the simple, beaming smiles of children as we reached out with our hearts and lent them a hand.
Our Work Today
Today, the Ethiopia Down-Under Foundation continues its commitment to lasting change across the country. With the Foundation now formally established, we are able to extend our reach and work at a broader, more meaningful scale, directing funds to support the following areas:
Orphanages and Education
We provide ongoing support to orphanages by meeting both immediate and long-term needs. This includes access to education, essential items such as food, medicine and nappies, as well as assistance with general operating costs and are working towards the purchase of land to secure a stable future. Central to this support is a strong emphasis on education, with continued funding for children through their undergraduate university studies, helping them move toward independence and opportunity.
Aged Care Facilities
We support aged care facilities by helping meet the everyday needs of elderly residents, while also contributing to the long-term stability of the centres that care for them. This support includes essential supplies, medical assistance and help with operational costs, ensuring older members of the community are treated with dignity, comfort and respect.
Hospitals
We support hospitals that are working to eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia, contributing to care that restores health, dignity and hope to women affected by this preventable condition. Our funding assists medical treatment, recovery and ongoing support, helping women reclaim their lives and re-enter their communities with confidence and independence.
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