Korah
Korah: More Than the Story You Have Heard
Korah is a community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, whose history is closely connected to people affected by leprosy, social exclusion, and generations of poverty. Families who had been rejected or displaced settled near the area, and as Addis Ababa grew, the city’s Koshe landfill became a source of survival for many people with few other options.
For years, families have searched the landfill for recyclable materials, food, clothing, and anything that could be sold. Limited access to education and stable employment allowed poverty to repeat itself from one generation to the next.
But Korah cannot be understood through poverty alone.
It is a community of families, businesses, churches, artists, students, graduates, and people working every day to create something better. The children and young adults we serve are not “dump kids.” They are students with names, personalities, gifts, faith, questions, goals, and dreams.
Why Education Matters
When a child has access to consistent education, basic needs, trusted adults, and a pathway into work or higher education, the possibilities change. Education can open doors that poverty has kept closed – but lasting change usually requires more than tuition. That is why OA works with the whole student and, when needed, the family around them.
Our Hope for Korah
We want to see a generation of young people who are educated, employed, emotionally supported, spiritually grounded, and equipped to lead. Our greatest hope is not that students remain dependent on Out of the Ashes. It is that they build lives in which they no longer need us – and that many will one day use what they have gained to strengthen their own families and community.
