Over the years, we have collected all the most frequently asked questions and organised them into different categories. Can't find your question? Then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us and we will be happy to help you.
Visiting / helping out at SELAM Ethiopia
Can we visit SELAM?
Yes. Approximately every two years, the Kultour travel agency organizes organises a two-week trip to Ethiopia with an extended visit to the SELAM institutions, conversations with and field reports from employees, and "SELAM fruits". On the subsequent tour of the country, participants can gain a better understanding of the value of SELAM's work by witnessing the local conditions. The next trip will be announced soon. Information/bookings via the travel agency Kultour in Winterthur, phone +41 52 235 10 00. Here, by way of example, is the trip that was planned (but not carried out) for 2020: SELAM trip (pdf), in German.
If you are travelling to Ethiopia independently, we are happy for you to pay us a visit at SELAM. We particularly recommend stopping by our restaurant at the start or end of your visit, where we serve a delicious lunch each day. Please book in advance once you are in Ethiopia by calling (+251) 011 646 29 56 (office, children's village) or (+251) 092 901 60 03 (Ms Zahai Röschli).
Is it possible to volunteer or do an internship at one of the SELAM sites?
You can only work at one of the SELAM sites if you are qualified in one of the fields offered by SELAM, have many years of experience, or wish to do your national service with us and also have the requisite experience in one of the fields. Visa requirements have become much more stringent since 2015, meaning that deployments with us are only possible when special agreements with state institutions are in place. We have such an agreement with the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training TVET, for example. This allows us to continue deploying young professionals from Switzerland in five fields as they perform their national service: Metalwork and Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering / Electronics, Woodwork, Agriculture and Catering. For additional information, please contact our programme director, Christoph Zinsstag.
Donations
What is the minimum donation amount required to receive a donation certificate?
Donation confirmations are issued for yearly donations of CHF 100 or more and sent out in February of the upcoming year. For amounts below CHF 100, we can issue a certificate on request (info@selam.ch)
Are donations to SELAM tax-deductible?
Yes. Donations to SELAM are tax-exempt.
Does SELAM offer sponsorships?
No. We have decided against sponsorships for two reasons:
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They require great administrative effort and thus result in high staff costs in Switzerland. We save this money and instead send it directly to Ethiopia.
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They do not meet our principle of equal treatment. SELAM regards itself as one big family where all the available resources are shared equally. No child is to receive preferential treatment or go without.
Do you welcome large non-cash donations? (e.g. machines, tools, electrical equipment)
We are of course very grateful for all the machines, equipment and facilities that we have already received. However, the transport costs are expensive and the administrative effort required is also quite high. Furthermore, a lot more products are available on the local market in Ethiopia nowadays than used to be the case, albeit not always in the desired quality. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you still have questions. Here you can find our contact details.