Why does Ethiopian Impact serve Ethiopia? 54.4 million children under the age of 15 reside in Ethiopia, which is almost half of the country’s population. With such a massive number of young people, and older generations dying out early, Abraham Fiseha and his team felt a strong call to provide guidance and mentorship to a generation without it.

Ethiopia also remains one of the poorest countries in the world, due in large part to its rapid population growth and the lack of jobs. The result is droves of youths coming to cities in search of work and success, but ending up on the street, unable to find a job or pay for education. Some aid agencies estimate that more than 150,000 children live on the streets in Ethiopian cities, with 69,000 in Addis Ababa alone.

Angela Correll is the author of Village Life, Restored in Tuscany, and a fictional trilogy. She is founder of Kentucky Soaps & Such, and co-founder and designer of The Stanford, a suite of hospitality businesses located in revitalized buildings on Main Street in Stanford, Kentucky. She lives on a farm in Kentucky with her husband, Jess, along with part-time village living in Tuscany, Italy.

As a Danville, Kentucky native, Amy has raised three amazing children with her husband, Hugh Gates, while serving on a variety of boards and volunteer organizations within her community and church. Amy fell in love with Ethiopia and the Youth Impact ministry during her first visit to Ethiopia. Amy is one of the founding members of the Ethiopian Impact board.

Brett Johnson is a founding board member and treasurer of Ethiopian Impact, with a professional background in accounting and finance. My love for Ethiopia began in 2013 on a trip with the University of Kentucky Athletic Department, and I’ve returned three times since. I’m passionate about serving the poor, empowering the next generation, and building meaningful connections across cultures. My wife, Logan, and I have been traveling full time for the past three years, house and pet sitting around the world as a way to connect with people from all walks of life.

Terri Richer lives in southern Maine, and is an administrative assistant for the family construction business. She also serves as the Global Outreach Coordinator at Curtis Lake Church. After years of involvement with work in Ethiopia through her church, Terri knew the invitation came in God’s timing and joined the board of Ethiopian Impact in 2018. Terri enjoys learning Amharic, traveling, reading, and spending time with her two grandsons, Camden and Cooper.

Adrienne Correll lives in Anchorage Kentucky with her two children, Frances and Roman. They all traveled to Ethiopia for the first time in 2024 and fell in love with the people, the culture and the wonderful work Youth Impact is doing in Addis Ababa. Adrienne works with the Commercial Lending Group at First Southern National Bank and serves as a director on The First Southern Bank board as well as The River Foundation board.

To date, hundreds of children have been supported by Ethiopian Impact – establishing relationships with Jesus, receiving basic physical needs and education, and learning how to serve others. Many of these children grow up and return to help the current students in the program by mentoring and growing the community. Many graduates are now business, ministry, and community leaders leading productive lives in Ethiopia. They consider each other family and gather together regularly to celebrate and support each other.