Day 4 – Monday

Sleeping in an area where there is a known rat has its challenges.  One of those challenges is paranoia.  Another is sleep rigamortis – a condition that occurs when a person who is afraid of a rat encounter bundles herself up into a sheet sealing every possible rat entrance and is afraid to move from that position.  I suffered through both of these challenges, and consequently, didn’t have a restful night’s sleep.  Wendy downed two sleeping aids in an effort to catch up on sleep that has been illusive throughout this trip (Wendy: “I’m glad I’m sleeping on the top bunk!).

 

We woke up with great anticipation because we were going back to Hope for the Hopeless (HFTH) orphanage.  We couldn’t wait to see our kids!  HFTH has two orphanages, one in Addis Ababa and one about 25 minutes outside of Addis.  Our first stop was at the Addis campus (we had previously visited the compound outside of Addis). 

 

We were greeted by different children, but with the same incredible welcoming spirit..  Hugs and handshakes from each child.  We toured the small compound and visited with the 17 residents.  Since there were 13 of us, the child to adult ratio was really great.  Once again the children loved having their pictures taken and seeing themselves in the digital screen.  We also brought out our balloon animal act, which went over really well.  …until the balloons started popping. 

 

We handed out  jump ropes that my employer donated (thank you!) for the girls who lived there.  One of the girls really loved the jump rope and never let go of it from the time we gave it to her to the time we left.

 

We also pulled out Chinese finger traps which the kids really enjoyed playing with.  They had never seen them before, so it was big fun to see them get trapped, panic, and then show them how to get out. 

 

We then pulled out markers, crayons, and paper for them to draw.  They really seemed to enjoy making pictures, most of them drew flowers, and were so proud of their artwork.  Wendy and I made a big deal about each picture and took a photograph of them holding it.  We told them that we would cherish their art work, and we will.

 

There was one boy, Adam* that reminded both Wendy and I of Avery (and he is the same age as Avery). The resemblance was really striking.  (picture below).  We played with Adam, Sam*, and a few other boys for most of the morning.  Adam was so loving, he didn’t want to be far from us, and he constantly wanted me to take his picture, and not just a headshot, but a full body shot.

 

 

Fekadu, the director of HFTH also took Wendy and I into his office and showed us his paperwork on the children and described his model of care.  Essentially, he has about 50 live in orphans and over 400 who come in from the streets for food and showers.  Only about 150 of these children are sponsored, so he’s supporting 400 kids in two campuses on $4500/month.  It’s impossible.

  

When we arrived, we noticed a beautiful 17-year old girl named Mary.  She latched on to one of our teammates and wouldn’t let go.  She loved having her picture taken and her big bright smile told us that she was very happy.   When we got back into the director’s office, he shared her story with us.  It was far from a fairy tale..  Mary lived in the countryside with her parents who were very poor.  A friend of the family offered to take Mary into their home with them so that she could live closer to the city and receive an education.  Unfortunately when Mary moved in with them, the deal changed.  She became a house servant, and never received an education.  At one point she learned that her parents had fallen ill, and she asked if she could be taken to see them.  This request was denied.  Mary then ran away, trying to find her parents, but never made it there (there are no street signs in the countryside).  Mary wound up on the streets of Addis Ababa where she stayed awake for four days straight because she was afraid something bad would happen to her if she fell asleep.  But something bad did happen to her.  She was kicked, beaten, and raped by five boys.  When she made it to the doorstep of HFTH, they immediately took her to the hospital and filed a police report, in fear that she would die.  That was two years ago.  (pictures coming once we can upload them!)

 

Fekadu broke down as he shared her story with us.  Mary is doing well now, but is afraid to leave the orphanage.  Like most of the children we have met, she presents as bright and happy, even though she’s seen so much hardship in her life.

 

I can’t describe the instant bond we felt with these children, particularly because there is a huge language barrier (though we had three interpreters with us).  This immediate bond makes for a difficult goodbye.  Before we left, they honored us with a song, then more hugs and kisses as we exited through the large gate.  I was emotional, I think most of the team was.  It was hard to tell them that we wouldn’t be coming back, there is nothing worse than letting down an orphan.  Nothing.  They’ve been through so much, you just want to give them a sliver of joy.  It is amazing how quickly you can get attached to a child you’ve just met.

 

After lunch we headed to the second HFTH compound in the country (the one we stopped at quickly Saturday night).  I couldn’t wait to see my boys there!  Ben* and Henry*.  Ben is 10 and in 5^th grade, Henry is 16 and in 8^th grade.  Henry has been living at HFTH for 7 years, since his parents passed away.  Ben and his sister have been living there for only a few months.  When their parents died, they went to live with a grandmother, but she couldn’t take care of them, so she brought them to HFTH.

 

When our team walked in, the children who we connected with on Saturday, reconnected with each of us.  Ben had a big smile when he saw me and ran over to me with a hug.  Henry, at 16 is a little more reserved, but came over and greeted me with a hug as well.  Ben grabbed my hand and never left my side the entire time I was there.  I absolutely loved spending the afternoon with him.  It was a thrill to be with someone who was just completely content to sit next to you and hold your hand.  If I dropped something on the ground he would jump to pick it up.  At snack time, Henry offered me some of his tea and bread (can you imagine taking part of an impoverished orphan’s snack – um – never!).  This is the spirit of Ethiopians though, they share whatever little they have.

 

The guys on our travel team had a soccer match with many of the boys, which looked like a lot of fun.  Of course, the Ethiopian children crushed the American men.  Everyone really seemed to enjoy that activity.  Henry showed me the cows (which I found scary and stinky), we were treated to a gymnastics show (these boys are amazing!) and we enjoyed a(nother) traditional coffee ceremony with popcorn (the only thing I’ve had in Ethiopia that tastes exactly the same as the American version sans butter and salt, of course). 

 

Then it happened to us again.  The sun began its decent and the daylight slipped away from us.  There is no electricity on the compound, so we spent our last half hour together singing songs and dancing.  The children sang to us in Amharic and we sang to them in English.  We closed with a song that everyone could understand – the laughing song.  We all laughed together for about 5 minutes.  Laughter is a universal language indeed!

 

Then, it was time for the worst part; the goodbyes.  We told them we loved them, gave tight hugs and kisses and boarded our van for a very quiet and somber ride home.

 

I would love to help find a sponsor for the 32 children at HFTH Countryside and/or 17 children at HFTH Addis.  It would be so incredible to be able to go back there again and watch these children grow through letters and pictures.  Tom Davis said that these were some of the most incredible orphans he had ever seen (and he’s seen a lot).  Wendy and I will be giving Fekadu $500 to use as needed for the orphans (which we are able to do thanks to many of you!).