Compassion Visit

Being conveniently located 11 km away from a child my parents have been sponsoring for over 5 years with Compassion International, I decided to pay his family a visit. Waiting for my arrival, 10-year old Yared immediately came running up the path to meet me, holding my hand as we walked to the Compassion site together. Him, his younger brother Ebeneezer, and their Mom Alemseuhai live in a two-room house right next door to the church where Compassion’s project for that area is based. Their father died a few years ago from tuberculosis. Alemseuhai works as a hairdresser, but since her husband died the money provided by Compassion helps her sons to attend school as well as paying for clothing and other expenses.

Every Compassion site has 4 employees: a project director, a social worker who plans programs, including field trips, for the children at that site, a health worker, and an accountant. The site is usually based at a church where the children are free to come play together each day, attend bible study classes, and have access to resources like books and health services. This particular site had just under 200 children, but overall Ethiopia has some 20,000 children who are in programs. Many children have no sponsors or are waiting for sponsors, but still have access to the site where they can play with other children. Learn more at http://www.compassion.com/default.htm

Mama Haregewoin

Haregewoin Teferra was thrown into the profession of “Mom” long after she had her own two daughters. I was so blessed to come across the book about her life, There is no me without you by Melissa Fay Greene, just before I traveled to Ethiopia. The book tells the story of how Mrs. Teferra was asked by the church to take care of a few children after one of her own daughters died of AIDS at a young age. Reluctantly agreeing to risk pouring her heart into more children, she ended up discovering a calling that continues to shape her life today.

Now, the Atetegeb Worku Memorial Orphans Support Association named in honor of her late daughter has two different houses, one with over 40 HIV+ children and the other with almost 10 other children, where Mrs. Teferra also lives. After going in search of her house, I was privileged to spend the day with Mrs. Teferra at the HIV+ house, in awe of the beauty of the children there and the care they were receiving, despite all the tragedies that life has brought them. Learn more at http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com/