I have saved this post. Partially because it was the final thing we did before leaving Addis. Partially because I really want to do the experience justice. I pray God uses our experience and this blog to further bless the work being done at Children's Heaven.
The location of Children's Heaven has recently moved and this sign has yet to be hung outside the gate.
However, Hanna told us even without a sign and even though they are located in a spot that is hard to find, she has 3 to 5 knocks at her gate each day with families wishing for help for their daughters. There are currently 200 girls on her waiting list.Children's Heaven serves girls from about 3rd grade through high school. The basic goal is to keep girls in school. All the children that they serve have lost at least one parent. Many are living with sick mothers. Others live with Aunts, Grandmothers, or neighbors. They are all very poor. Children's Heaven helps fill in the cracks. The girls come to the center on Saturdays for activities and a meal. The meal ensures the girls eat at least once every day other than Sunday (they eat at school during the week.) Children's Heaven provides clothing or shoes if the girls are without. They are in contact with the schools and provide tutors for the girls that need extra help. They give families some supplemental groceries and hygiene products. They have a shower program for girls who need it. (A young girl living with a sick mother is not strong enough to haul water for her own bath.)
One of the programs they are starting to work on more and more is to help the mothers that are sick. They are beginning home visits. Trying to make sure moms have the medicine they need. They dream of being able to train the mothers to do trades from their homes, so many of them work very hard in manual labor. Their sick bodies can not take the work, falling ill frequently, making finances even more difficult. Children's Heaven wants to help these moms stay alive longer so they can raise their daughters. (I pray one of you has a vision for this. I think i is so beautiful. Any web designers that could market their wares? Any crafts people with ideas?)
The first thing we did upon arriving at Children's Heaven was unload the box of shoes. It felt so good to see it delivered. Hanna and the girls were so thankful and sweet.
The woman in pink is Hanna. She was articulate, kind, grateful, wise, and loving. She had high expectations for the girls, yet there was no denying her love for them as well. She does not run this program alone. They have several on staff including social workers.
This was the group of girls that is my Sierra's age. They sang a couple songs for us. This is a Christian based program and the driver told us the songs were about "spiritual things."
This beauty stole my heart.
Hanna asked the girls that were brave enough to introduce themselves to us in English. She had practiced an introduction speech with them. They welcomed us to Children's Heaven, told us their name, age, school, favorite subject, favorite sport, and what they hoped to be when they grew up. Many of them hoped to be Doctors, Scientists, or Engineers. I so hope their dreams will become a reality.
This is a picture of the young group and some of the older girls gathered outside the building.
These girls are around Krissy's age
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One fun thing that happened was Hanna talked Krissy into letting the girls braid her hair. It was a good way to get to know someone you do not share a language with! I am sure they are still talking about how hard it is to brain slippery white girl hair - but only in fun. They were very sweet.
The finished work. I so wish we remembered this girls name. She will always be a special memory of our trip and how fun is her hair?!
Our time there ended with a coffee ceremony. I was honored to experience this Ethiopian tradition. The coffee was totally delicious - very dark, with some grounds floating, and a teaspoon of sugar. I truly could have drank a whole pot. Krissy is not a coffee drinker and was glad the cups were tiny. (I was so proud of her. She handled this whole trip with dignity and grace. She politely ate everything offered to her. She was kind and thoughtful and so mature in each interaction we had. She was a total blessing to me.)I was totally impressed by this program. It is beautiful, loving, and includes not just the girl but her family. They are fighting not just to keep girls in school but against the alternative. If these girls drop out of school it is to help support themselves, their families, or their younger siblings. Their means of supporting themselves is prostitution - not because they are "bad" girls - but because it is their only option. The thought of any of the beautiful, radiant faces I was greeted by being forced to be prostitutes makes me sick.
Children's Heaven longs to serve more girls. Remember how I told you they have a waiting list of 200?! Would you consider sponsoring a girl? It costs $25 a month or $300 a year to keep a girl off the streets and in school. $300 a year to invest in a future. $300 a year to bring a girl some peace and assurance. $300 a year! I was there, I saw these girls, and they need us.
If you choose to sponsor a girl you can write to her and she will write to you at least twice a year. You can send her gifts and form a relationship - or simply write a check. Contact is up to you, some of us like that others do not. I ask you to really pray about and for these girls. Could you help one, more? I told Hanna I would tell everyone I could about the work they are doing. I pray that we can take a few names off the waiting list.
If you have any questions about this program let me know. You can sponsor a girl by visiting their web site. I have a link on the left hand side of my blog or google Children's Heaven in Ethiopia.
Father God, Thank you for allowing us to visit Children's Heaven. Thank you for each precious girl that is currently being served. Thank you for Hanna and the staff. Please fortify and protect this program. Give the leaders vision, passion, energy, strength, peace, and grace. Protect these beautiful children. Keep them from harm. Help them to feel your presence and love. Please bless the gifts we were able to bring. Multiply them as only you can. May your blessing and provision abound. May it rain mightily, that their store house is filled to overflowing, and many more children are added to their numbers. Move us Lord Jesus. Break our hearts for those that You love. Give us the courage, passion, and will to serve. Amen
