Love in Action Ethiopia (LIAE) is an indigenous, non-governmental, non-profit organization established in 2001. Operating across hard-to-reach, underserved, and rural communities in Ethiopia, LIAE provides multi-sectoral development and humanitarian programs encompassing healthcare, nutrition, education, economic empowerment, peacebuilding, and institutional capacity building to foster community-led resilience.
Organizational Background & Evolution
- Founding Context: Established in 2001 by Mr. Yohannes Amado Duba, Mr. Aklilu G. Michael Shomoro, and 18 co-founding members after identifying acute educational deficits in the rural Hadiya Zone, where children lacked basic classrooms and institutional support.
- Early Development: Initially self-funded through member contributions before securing a pivotal institutional grant (150,000 ETB) from SNNPR HAPCO in 2003, catalyzing rapid programmatic and structural growth.
- National Standing: Expanded over two decades from a grassroots school-building initiative into a prominent national civil society organization (CSO) operating across all major administrative divisions in Ethiopia.
Legal Status & Compliance
- Regulatory Registration: Formally registered and licensed as an Ethiopian Civil Society Organization by the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) under Registration No. 0286.
- Operating Framework: Holds official operational tri-partite agreements across 12 regional states and 2 city administrations.
- Fiduciary Governance: Maintains certified tax compliance and utilizes automated enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and digital monitoring platforms (including DHIS2, KoboToolbox, and ODK) to ensure audit accuracy.
Vision, Mission & Core Values
- Vision: "LIAE envisions resilient and thriving communities where people drive their own development."
- Mission: "LIAE works to improve well-being in most-at-risk and underserved communities by empowering people to drive sustainable change through collective action and local participation."
- Core Values:
- Love within Actions
- Conscious Interventions
- Innovation
- Empowerment
- Participation
- Integration
- Sustainability
Programmatic Pillars & Core Interventions
- Health & Nutrition Programs (HNDP): Comprehensive interventions targeting HIV/AIDS prevention, differentiated service delivery (DSD), antiretroviral therapy (ART) retention, tuberculosis (TB) advocacy, maternal/neonatal health, and chronic respiratory illness care.
- Education and Skill Development Program (ESDP): Expanding access to primary schooling, classroom construction, vocational skills training, and educational support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC).
- Economic Security and Development Program (ESDP): Household economic strengthening, micro-enterprise development, youth and women entrepreneurship incubation, and livelihood resilience.
- Democracy, Public Accountability and Peace Building Program (DAP): Fostering participatory governance, social accountability mechanisms (e.g., ESAP), and local conflict resolution.
- Environmental Protection and Agriculture Development Program (EPADP): Community-level climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and ecological restoration.
- Capacity Development Program (CDP): Technical assistance, organizational development, and systems strengthening for local community-based organizations and health facilities.
- Emergency Relief Program (ERP): Rapid-onset humanitarian assistance, internally displaced persons (IDP) support, and refugee integration programming.
Institutional Reach & Key Metrics
- Direct Beneficiaries: Over 1.7 million people directly served (61% women and girls).
- Indirect Beneficiaries: More than 4.0 million individuals supported.
- Geographic Coverage: Active operational footprint covering 497 woredas across 12 regional states and 2 city administrations (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa).
- Volunteer Mobilization: Network of over 5,000 trained community volunteers.
- Partnership Ecosystem: Collaborated with over 52 institutional donors and 380 regional and district government sector offices.
Institutional Leadership & Governance
- Board of Directors: Strategic governance body overseeing institutional integrity, policy formulation, and fiduciary compliance.
- Executive Director: Mr. Aklilu G. Michael Shomoro (Lead Co-Founder; serving as full-time Executive Director since 2007; Member of the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism and Executive Board Member of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council).
- General Manager / Senior Leadership: Mr. Yohannes Amado Duba (Co-Founder, management consultant, and educational leadership specialist).
- Executive Management: Supported by Deputy Executive Director Mr. Berhanu Faye and Administrative Head Ms. Fikir Yebeltal.
Key Awards & Institutional Recognitions
- TRAC Awards (2025, 2026)
- USAID-MULU Recognition Award (2024)
- VNG International & ESAP Recognition Award (2024)
- Cheshire Ethiopia Award (2023)
- Abyssinia Award (2023)
- Kaffa Zone Administration Recognition (2023)
- Gambella Region Presidential Award (2021)
- Mekdim Ethiopia Award (2021)
- USAID Performance & Achievement Awards (2019, 2020)
- Global Fund for Children (GFC) Awards (2008, 2009, 2010)
Headquarters & Contact Details
- Head Office: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Telephone: +251 11 667 5726 / +251 11 667 5727
- Email: info@loveinactionethiopia.org / hrliaerecruitment@gmail.com
- Official Banking Details: Bank of Abyssinia, Kazanchis Branch (Account Name: Love in Action Ethiopia | Account No: 20662828)
- Website: loveinactionethiopia.org