Fulfilling the Responsibility to Protect: The Roles of Iddir on Supporting Orphan Children in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

Iddirs are traditional community-based organizations (CBOs) primarily established to facilitate burial ceremonies and comforting the bereaved. This study emphasized the additional roles and functions of Iddirs on supporting vulnerable groups of the community. The research has employed a qualitative research method, and it employs in-depth interviews, FGD and document analysis as data gathering instruments. Participants of the study were beneficiaries of Iddir (orphans and their caregivers), Iddir members and Iddir committees. The findings of this study showed that Iddir has significant contribution to improve the life of orphans and their caregivers. The types of care and support provided by Iddir include financial, material, medical, emotional, and psychosocial support. The study also shows that orphans in the area are vulnerable to a range of problems: food insecurity, lack of clothes and footwear, inadequate access to school and school materials, poor health, and physical and sexual abuse, in terms of their severity.