Lesperance Kinderhilfe e.V.
Wir bei LESPERANCE Kinderhilfe e.V. wollen Waisenkindern die Wärme und Geborgenheit einer Familie schenken.
40 Years of Akaki Children’s Village
In November 2025, Akaki Children’s Village in Ethiopia celebrated its 40th anniversary – a milestone filled with gratitude.
It has now been 40 years since Paul Kowoll founded Akaki Children’s Village in Ethiopia.
At that time, he travelled to this hunger-stricken country with almost no money, limited language skills, and without knowing anyone there – carrying only a deep sense of God’s calling to build a children’s village with a school and a farm.
Just a few hours after his first contact with the authorities, he was granted 15 hectares of fertile land near Addis Ababa, free of charge. Soon afterwards, the first orphaned children were welcomed into the village.
To mark the anniversary, Paul (88) and Edith Kowoll (84) travelled once more to Ethiopia to celebrate together with the children, staff, and guests. For many former orphaned children, this reunion was an especially meaningful moment. Countless of them came from different regions – some even from overseas – to see again the two people who had become like a mother and father to them over many years.
These encounters were deeply moving and marked by gratitude and shared memories. They powerfully illustrated how much hope and transformation have grown over the past four decades, and how strong the bond between the children and Akaki Children’s Village remains to this day.
For this special occasion, Paul Kowoll’s autobiography Life Firsthand was translated into English so that “his” children could read his life story themselves. The English edition was printed in Ethiopia and is currently available there only.
The 40th anniversary celebration was not only a look back at God’s work in the past, but also an encouraging outlook – toward many more years in which children at Akaki Children’s Village can find protection, love, and a hopeful future.
