The school was initially founded by a husband and wife team of school teachers Mengesha and Freiwhot Gugsa, who through their church group, raised enough money to rent a shed and employ a couple of teachers to provide schooling to the children of very poor families who, in one way or another, were victims of HIV/AIDS. RAEY was created as a licensed charity in Ethiopia in 2007 and at that time was fully accredited to teach and support these children and their families.