The idea for Eagles’ Rise International first emerged in Ethiopia in July 2019.
Bruk T. Assefa and Tirza Groß, who met in 2018 working with orphaned children , shared their ideas about how to support them. There are already numerous NGOs working for orphans on a local, national and international level who provide the children at orphanages with food, health care, shelter, clothing, education etc. However, there are only few concerned with the personal attention needed for each child’s physical, spiritual and emotional attributes. Despite the rapidly growing number of orphans in a world with limited resources, it intrigued them to think of the concept of changing the help for orphaned children to be driven by community. They believed that within the community there are undeniable, overlooked and promising potentials to change the situation.
“True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties.”
As the young Ethiopian and German couple continued to further pursue seeking almighty God´s guidance on the matter, after a long period of prayer, they were led to a God given vision to work with widows as well. James 1:27 became a driving motivation “True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties.”
Eagles’ Rise International is now a legally registered NGO working for the development of Orphaned children and widows in Africa, licenced under county court of Frankfurt No. VR 17217 in 2023. Founding members of the organization were Iris and Martin Groß, Reinhard Wirweitzky, Nicole Adam, Gabriel and Anne van Hoewijk, Bruk T Assefa and Tirza Groß.
Bruk and Tirza, who married in January 2022, had also facilitated several supports to different orphans and widows before the founding of the organization:
Where Does the Name Eagles’ Rise Come From?
The name Eagles’ Rise was coined first when Bruk and Tirza were sitting in a very harmonious place in the city of Arba Minch from where you can see a wonderful valley with two lakes and lots of forest. As they talked about their visions, their eyes wandered far and wide until their attention focused on eagles circling over the valley. The eagle as a legendary artist of life and a reminder of the following Bible passage from Isaiah 40:31 became an important symbol for them and ultimately the namesake of the organization.
They longed to see how deprived orphan children and widows in Africa can find new hope and rise from suffering towards a strong and happier life.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.”
