Felege Hiywot History
While Felege Hiywot Center has been an incorporated non profit since 2004, our roots go deep into the 1970s. Aster Bekele formed what would become FHC shortly after immigrating to the United States. Seeing local children in need of a caring and interested adult, Aster began tutoring the children after school. She shared stories of her homeland and the children began understanding how privileged they actually were simply by hearing the stories of Aster’s past and the struggles of her people.
Since those early days of tutoring, Aster and FHC have enjoyed giving back to Indianapolis and Ethiopian children in need of someone to care for them and invest in them. In 2004, Felege Hiywot Center was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization. Over the years, the center has initiated, revised, expanded, and terminated programs as it continues to refine its vision, develop community partnerships, and conduct outreach programs.
The programs at FHC, today, focus on youth farming and cultural expression. The youth farming initiative includes both indoor and outdoor gardening and our cultural programs celebrate both American and Ethiopian traditions.
