About Us

Caring Cup Founder’s Story – Bude Gelson

Dec 2008 photo of me with Lida, one of my caregivers, at Horizons House in Addis Ababa

I was adopted from Ethiopia at the age of four, growing up far from my roots while carrying deep questions about my identity and heritage. In 2020, I went back to Ethiopia for the first time and was miraculously reconnected with my biological sister and family in Ethiopia, a journey that has reshaped my life.

The past two summers, I have returned to Ethiopia for college summer internships at a coffee exporter. It has been wonderful to discover and learn the world of coffee—the pride of my homeland. Working within the  Ethiopian coffee industry allowed me to witness not only the beauty of the process, from farm to cup, but also the challenges faced by communities who depend on it.

Through this journey, I felt a deep calling: to support children who, like me, have experienced separation from family, culture, and identity. That calling became the Caring Cup Foundation—an organization dedicated to giving vulnerable children in Ethiopia the resources, opportunities, and cultural connections they need to thrive.

Every cup of coffee tells a story, and through the Caring Cup Foundation, I want to make sure those stories include hope, belonging, and a brighter future.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting the Caring Cup Foundation and giving the gift of delicious coffee from my birth country.

Happy Holidays to you and yours,  Bude

July 2025 photo of me with some of the children at the Beteseb House in Hawassa, Ethiopia