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Welcome to TDVA, a Veteran-Led Humanitarian Organization

About US

T.D.V.A

The Tigray Disabled Veterans Association (TDVA) was officially established on May 18–20, 1988 E.C., with an initial membership of 1,200 registered disabled veterans.

Since its founding, TDVA has been dedicated to supporting veterans through empowerment, rehabilitation, and sustainable livelihood initiatives.

In its early days, the Association began with a modest capital of 3,204,078.21 birr. A portion of these funds (2,886,811.42 birr) was allocated to critical support programs, including:

Financial assistance for veterans struggling to rebuild their lives,
Funding for existing development projects, and
Compensation for businesses affected by unforeseen losses.

Today, TDVA proudly serves 27,527 members and operates key institutions that further its mission, including:

Mekelle Orthopedic and Physiotherapy Center (MOPC)– Providing specialized care and mobility support for disabled veterans.

Nicolas School – Offering education and vocational training to veterans and their families.

Organizational Structure of TDVA

1. General Assembly – Highest decision-making body
2. Board of Administrators – Elected leadership for strategic oversight
3. Controlling Council – Ensures accountability and compliance
4. General Manager & Management Team – Handles daily operations

Functional areas of TDVA

TDVA’s head office is located in Mekelle, Tigray, with multiple branches across Tigray and an additional branch in Addis Ababa to serve distant members.

Key income-generating enterprises supporting TDVA’s mission include:

Yeha Real Estate PLC (Addis Ababa)
Firesweat Trading PLC (Mekelle)
Walta Industry PLC (Axum)

TDVA primarily operates in Tigray and Addis Ababa, ensuring support and services for veterans across these regions.

Our Vision

A just society where persons with disabilities get the opportunity to develop their capabilities being active participants in all aspects of economic, social, and political life equally with dignity.

Our Mission

To extensively provide comprehensive integrated development rehabilitation services to enable persons with disabilities and their family members to become productive citizens and thereby achieve equal opportunity in life

Since 1996

TDVA, a Non-Profit Association for Disabled Veterans

Our principles and policies

Empowering People with Disabilities (PWD) and their family members by enabling them to pass through all steps of the rehabilitation process to determinately and fully participate in their society and help them and achieve equal opportunity in life.
Providing the necessary support to PWDs and their family members especially children who may be forced to quit schooling for economic reasons.
Producing and providing orthopedics supportive devices and appliances and physiotherapy treatment services to any needy in an integrated setting to the regional health development program.
Advocating and efforts to ensure that buildings, means of transportation, and any other social services and public facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Facilitating conditions whereby PWD’s can have access to information & and be able to operate information technology by themselves.
Encouraging persons with disabilities in general and women with disabilities, in particular, to get vocational skill training and to be employed
Creating conducive employment opportunities to enable them economically self-reliant and productive citizens.
Safeguarding the rights and dignity of Persons with disabilities and helping them to exercise.
Carrying out various awareness creation and advocacy works on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Help is Our Goal

What Make Us Different

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Number of Members

0 K+

Volunteers Worldwide

0 years

Since 1996

Our Goal is to Help PWD

Our Goals

Strategic Objectives

Working on rehabilitating and integrating PWDs into the mainstream of society.
Producing & and providing orthopedic supportive services and physiotherapy treatment to any needy.
Providing vocational skill training followed by job placement activities.
Enabling them to be engaged in self-help income generating and self-employment schemes.
Assisting & and strengthening the long-term food security situation of PWDs
Enabling its members to have access to public services and any other social facilities.
Carrying out various awareness creation and advocacy works on the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs).

This holistic approach has significantly improved mobility and quality of life for disabled veterans.

TDVA Values

Our Core Values

At the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association (TDVA), our work is guided by unwavering principles that define who we are and how we serve. These core values shape every program, decision, and interaction as we rebuild lives and restore dignity to war-affected veterans and their communities.

Accountability

1. Unity in Action

“We work well together to do more.”
Collaboration is our strength. By fostering teamwork among staff, volunteers, and partners, we amplify our impact—ensuring no veteran is left behind.

2. Integrity in All We Do

“We are accountable and transparent.”
Trust is earned through honesty. We uphold rigorous financial and ethical standards, ensuring every resource directly serves those who sacrificed for Tigray.

Inclusion

3. Empowerment Through Inclusion

“We are inclusive and empowering.”
From amputees to women veterans, we actively dismantle barriers, ensuring all members have equal access to opportunities and a voice in their future.

Change

4. Collective Leadership

“We are democratic and participatory.”
Every veteran’s perspective matters. Through shared decision-making, we build solutions that reflect the real needs of our community.

5. Sustainable Change

“We strive for lasting impact.”
Beyond immediate aid, we invest in long-term rehabilitation, livelihoods, and advocacy—creating a legacy of resilience for generations.

Advocacy

6. Unwavering Advocacy

“We care for members’ rights.”
We fight tirelessly for veterans’ dignity, from healthcare access to land rights, because service to Tigray demands justice in return.

7. Equality as Our Foundation

“We believe in equality and solidarity.”
Regardless of background, injury, or gender, we stand united. Together, we heal, rebuild, and honor the shared humanity that binds us.

TDVA Strategic Development Plan

TDVA Strategic Development Plan
-Key Organizational Objectives

1. Veteran Independence Program

*Enhance existing support systems for disabled veterans and their families

* Develop self-sustaining economic opportunities

*Expand financial assistance for severely injured members

2. Industrial Development

*Complete and operationalize the Mekelle Steel Factory

* Establish a tea processing and distribution network across Tigray

* Modernize and expand the Agibe Spring Water Factory

3. Economic Growth Projects

* Develop the Kedamay Weyane land through commercial construction

* Optimize Fireaswuat Trading PLC and Fireaswuat Industry operations

* Transform trading enterprises into reliable income generators Expected Outcomes:

• Sustainable livelihoods for veterans and their families

• Expanded industrial capacity in Tigray region

• Increased revenue streams to support TDVA’s mission

Membership

Become the One Who is Considered a Hero

Become a member of the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association (TDVA) and stand with those who sacrificed everything for Tigray. Your membership supports life-changing rehabilitation, job training, and advocacy for war-wounded veterans. Together, we can restore dignity, foster resilience, and rebuild communities shattered by conflict. Whether you’re a veteran, ally, or donor, your voice strengthens our mission. Join today – because no hero should be left behind.

Completed Program

65%

Program for this Month

90%

Watch Our Video

Documentary on TDVA

Testimonials

What People Say About
Our Organization

"ካብ ሽቕለት ናብ ራህዋይ - From Disability to Dignity" "ከም ኣካል ተበኺለ ኣብ ሓርነት ኣገልግሎት ተዋጊነት ዝተገደኽኩ፡ TDVA ብሞተር ዝተኸውን ኮርሳ ምሃብን ብዘርእ ስራሕ ምድጋፍን ነቲ ዝነበረ ተስፋ ኣብቅይዎ። ሕጂ ኣብ መረብ ዓይነ ስእሊ ስራሕ እንተርክብ እየ።"

ብትሕትና ካብ ሕማም ናብ ስራሕ - From Illness to Enterprise" "ክልተ ዓመት ኣብ �ንቋ ተኸላኺለ ዝነበርኩ ክሊኒካዊ ሓኪም ኮይነ፡ TDVA ኣብ ኣዲስ ኣበባ ዝርከብ ሆስፒታል ኣየደር ሕክምና ኣብሪሃለይ። ሕጂ ብብዓል ሱቅ ፋሽን ኮይነ እየ ዝሰራሕ።"

"ካብ ቃልሲ ናብ ልምዓት - From Struggle to Success" "ኣብ ኲናት ዝተጎድአ ሓይሊ እንደገና፡ TDVA ብሞተር ዝተኸውን ኮርሳን ናይ 1,200 ብር ዕለታዊ ስጋን ሂብዎ። ሕጂ ኣብ ሜካኒካዊ ስራሕ ኣብ ስራሕ እየ ዘለኹ።"

"ካብ ስንክልና ናብ ስልጣን - From Dependency to Leadership" "ኣብ እግሪ ዝተጎድአ ከምኡ’ውን፡ TDVA ኣብ ኲናት ዝተጎድአ ኮይነ፡ ኣብቲ ሓዳስ ዝተሰርሐ ማክሰኞ ስትራተጂካዊ ፋብሪካ ኣተኲረ። ሕጂ ኣብ ምምሕዳር እየ ዘለኹ።"