Background
The roots of the present ADCS were first planted on 11th November 1976 with the "Adigrat Social Action Committee". Food for Work programmes were initiated and the agenda included the digging of wells, road construction, soil conservation, building a grain store as well as other activities. These items illustrate how from its very humble beginning the "Committee" considered the orientation of its work. In 1979 a Branch Office was established in Mekele. Out of the "Committee's" preoccupation with roads and soil conservation the Adigrat Diocesan Development Action (ADDA) was born and began to develop under the professional direction of Dr. Bruno Strebel and funded by Swiss Caritas and MISEREOR ( Germany ).
While trying to cope with the famine of 1984-86 the administration and management of the ASAC was pushed to breaking point. Consequently, it was reorganized in 1987 and became officially the ADCS. The overall aims were the co-ordination and facilitation of the pastoral, social and developmental activities of the Eparchy of Adigrat, and that included the office in Adigrat as well as the area coordination branch office in Mekele.
ADCS's Structural Reorganization
Beginning in October 2001 the whole reorganization and restructuring of the ADCS was embarked on. The process involved putting in place standard and transparent financial procedures and the establishment of an efficient managerial system. It was estimated at that time that the structural reorganization of the ADCS would take approximately three years. Such a major undertaking was made possible thanks to the encouragement and support of a variety of international partners:
Misereor Caritas Germany
Caritas Switzerland Caritas Italiana
Caritas Belgium Caritas Feldkirch
Secours Catholique Catholic Relief Services (CRS/ET)
Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat (ECS) TROCAIRE (Caritas Ireland )
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)