OK Ethiopia (Opportunity for Kids in Ethiopia) was established on 21st May 2013 in Bern (Switzerland), as a non-profit association based on the article 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil code. The main goals of the association are to give kids in Ethiopia the chance of going to school through (i) providing school uniforms, meals and other necessary materials (ii) providing books, computers and other teaching aids and (iii) providing building materials for new school buildings.
Once the association was established in Switzerland, the laws of Ethiopia required the formation of a sister Charity in Ethiopia. Thus the ‘Beromsa Ejolef Ethiopian Resident Charity’ was founded. This complicated process took three years as approval was needed at the federal, regional and community levels. In addition to their active role in establishing the association, board and executive members of Beromsa Ejolef participate in discussions with the communities and schools receiving the donations.
In 2013, Dr. Zerihun Tadele, an Ethiopian researcher, received the prestigious Dr. Rudolf Maag Prize for his scientific work on the improvement of the Ethiopian crop, tef (Eragrostis tef). He used the prize money to start a charity in Switzerland, Opportunity for Kids Ethiopia, with the aim of helping Ethiopian children attend school by donating supplies to existing schools and providing building supplies for new schools. Complying with the regulations from both the Swiss and Ethiopian governments took more than two years and included the founding of Opportunity Kids in 2013 and a sister Ethiopian organization, Beromsa Ejolef, in 2017.