An email from my friend who is waiting to bring her child home from Ethiopia:
We would like you to know Ethiopia is a beautiful country rich in history and culture dating back to the dawn of civilization nevertheless, modern Ethiopia suffers from massive poverty and there are an estimated 4.5 million orphans currently in Ethiopia (more than the entire population of Los Angeles, CA). Many of who have lost their parents due to the AIDS pandemic and other diseases. It is hard to fully comprehend that many common diseases and illnesses that we come across every day in our country can often be fatal in Ethiopia due to extreme poverty and the lack of basic medical care, but it happens more than we would like to think. One unfortunate statistic is, an Ethiopian child happens to be 30 times more likely to die before his or her 5th birthday than a child born in the west. Also, half a million children under the age of five die each year (one child per minute) in Ethiopia because of illnesses such as malaria and measles, as well as pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition. It is truly heart breaking and preventable.
We are dedicated to providing support to a couple agencies that we feel are doing good work for the children and families of Ethiopia. One of the agencies we support, and will able to deliver our donations to while visiting Ethiopia, is African HIV Orphans: Project Embrace (AHOPE) which takes care of children that are orphaned and HIV positive. The agency was founded on the idea of caring for orphaned and HIV positive children until they died as a result of their disease. On a somewhat positive note, in September of 2005 lifesaving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs were made available to the children of AHOPE and the children began to thrive, grow, and simply LIVE; it was a miracle of enormous magnitude. As the children grew healthier their needs changed and now AHOPE’s focus expanded beyond the basics such as nutrition and medical care, to education and even preparation for adulthood. AHOPE now reports that over twenty children they cared for are now home with their adoptive families and at least twenty more are in process.
Psalms 91: 6-9 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark or sickness that strikes at noon. At your side 1,000 people may die, or even 10,000 right beside you, but you will not be hurt. You will only watch and see the wicked punished. The Lord is your protection; you have made God Most High your place of safety.
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