About Us

It Started with $100 and a Choice

For over five years before founding GECI, our founder made a simple but profound decision: instead of spending $100 a month on housekeeping, he cleaned his own home and sent that money to five elderly people in Ethiopia who were facing hunger, isolation, and extreme hardship.

Month after month. Year after year. Five elders who would have gone hungry were fed.

But as word spread through Ethiopian communities, the need became undeniable: thousands of elderly individuals—people who had built Ethiopia through decades of hard work—were now dying alone, forgotten, and malnourished. Five elders weren’t enough. One person’s sacrifice wasn’t enough.

GECI was born to turn a personal mission into a movement.

November 2021: The Founding

Grace Elderly Care International, Inc. was officially established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 87-3528034) with a clear mission: combat elderly malnutrition in Ethiopia through direct, dignified assistance delivered with maximum efficiency.

From the beginning, GECI was built differently:

• All-volunteer leadership: No executive salaries; every donated dollar goes to programs
• Professional oversight: Board includes 2 Certified Public Accountants ensuring financial integrity
• Community-based delivery: Local Ethiopian volunteers who know their communities best
• Cash-first approach: Preserving elder dignity and autonomy through direct financial assistance

2022-2023: Building and Proving the Model

Starting from that foundation of personal sacrifice, GECI grew systematically:

• Established four core programs: monthly cash allowances, home repairs, temporary shelter, and volunteer mobilization
• Built partnerships with Ethiopian community leaders and volunteers
• Developed transparent financial systems and donor stewardship practices
• Achieved 95% program efficiency—among the highest in the nonprofit sector

2024-2025: Recognition and Scale

Our commitment to transparency and accountability earned GECI the 2024 and 2025 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest rating for nonprofit accountability. This independent validation confirmed what our donors already knew: GECI operates with exceptional integrity and impact.

Today, we provide monthly cash assistance, basic healthcare, hygiene supplies, and emotional support to 100 severely malnourished older adults who have no other support system.

Looking Ahead: January 2026 and Beyond

But the need remains urgent. Thousands more Ethiopian elders still face malnutrition, homelessness, and isolation. GECI exists to change that—one elder at a time, one community at a time.

What Began with One Person’s Sacrifice Has Become a Movement

GECI is fully run by volunteers in both the U.S. and Ethiopia. We are accountants, business professionals, humanitarians, and community members united by a simple conviction: no elder should die hungry, homeless, or forgotten.

The work continues. The need remains. And we’re just getting started.