Learning, sharing and veggie Scouse: A visit from the Wubanchi Project

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of welcoming the Wubanchi Project team, supported by the Blue Blanc Rouge Foundation, to spend time with us here at Juno.  

Wubanchi’s aim is to enable children growing up in care in Ethiopia to have access to all the same opportunities in life as any other child. They provide residential homes and wrap-around support for vulnerable young people in Ethiopia’s care system and give both educational and therapeutic support to young people who are still in state-managed residential care.  

The visit was an opportunity to talk honestly about what it means to build spaces that centre young people, to reflect on the challenges that come with that work, and to explore how we can continue to support care-experienced communities in ways that are meaningful, collaborative, and sustainable. 

We spent the morning getting to know each other better and understanding how the social context can affect the work we do. It was enlightening to see that despite the differences, young people in care face challenges of similar themes. Fundamentally, people want to feel cared for.  

It is clear from the work they do that Wubanchi see the whole person. Not only for the time in their care, but with a focus on these people growing up to become valuable members of society. Their young people are supported to dream big. Children going on to study medicine, or to run their own cafes were just few of the examples they shared. This is done with a rich network of people who support them, ensuring they have a stable foundation to build on. We loved what the team said about supporting children well into their twenties – when does a young person feel “ready” to move into a new chapter governs what happens, rather than their age...  

We’re incredibly grateful that the Wubanchi team took the time to visit us in person. There’s something powerful about being in the same room and sharing a bowl of scouse that gave space for open conversation, curiosity, and mutual reflection. 

Moments like this remind us that this work doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through relationships, through shared values, and through a willingness to learn from one another.