Hope For The Hopeless News Letter
- June 2010 Newsletter - Download
- December 2010 News Letter...
"A New Hope"
NEW BEGINNINGS
We would like to announce our new website: www.hope4hopeless.org. You can get the latest updates, see pictures of the facility in Sululta, sponsor children, and check out the many ways to get involved. We are truly in an expansion mode here at Hope for the Hopeless and thank all of our sponsors and donors for helping us to move ahead with a newly refreshed hope!
RECENT EVENTS
Our prayers have been answered with the installation of an electrical transformer to provide power to the facility in Sululta! The children and staff have been without power since moving to the facility in March. The children are thrilled that God has provided once again and are excited to be able to study after dark!
Hope for the Hopeless is planning to take on another facility in the small town of
Mehal Meda in north/central Ethiopia. This remote, mountainous village experiences extreme poverty, along with the isolation and lack of resources associated with the geography of the region. The orphanage there has twenty children in desperate need of assistance.
We are growing!
With the addition of 14 children from Awassa, the orphange in Sululta now houses 62 children. The Drop In center has 18 rescued street children and there are over 300 in foster care. The staff has also been expanded to care for the additional children. This growth allows us to care for the physical and spiritual needs of more children, but also places an additional burden on the budget.
MEET “JAMES”
(name has been changed)
James came to the Hope for the Hopeless program over one year ago. He suffers from a congenital bone defect know as tibial pseudarthrosis. His leg bone has been broken for many years and will not heal. This is a difficult condition to treat, even here in the US.
Despite the incredible pain that this young man experiences constantly, he has a quiet strength and dignity that is to be admired. He has a gentle spirit to perfectly complement his fierce courage and perseverance. He is truly a blessing to all who have the pleasure of knowing him.
Through a miraculous series of events, we were able to have James examined by an American orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Eric Gokcen, at Cure International Hospital in Addis Ababa. James is currently on the surgical waiting list to have his leg repaired. We will keep you updated on his surgery and recovery in the future!
Special thanks to Dr. Gokcen and Cure International! www.helpcurenow.org
A WORD FROM SURAFEL
Our trip to Awassa went well. We had 5 days training for HIV/AIDS for pastors to do counseling and to address the stigma of HIV. We had 150 pastors attend from four provinces in southern Ethiopia. They came from as far as 500 km radius. These 150 pastors will take what they have learned back to their churches and reach over 8 million people with the message and training.
We did a 3-day crusade outside of Awassa following the training. By Sunday, in the afternoon, there were about 10,000 people in attendance. God blessed a lot of people and many accepted Jesus.
We returned to Addis to spend time with the children. We delivered some luggage full of clothing that was donated by a family. The children prayed for the family. The children were asking when the dining room and kitchen facility would be finished. I told them, “God-willing, soon.” We formed a circle around the foundation of the building and prayed that God would provide a way for the building to get finished.
I traveled to Dubai to look into buying a bus for the children to be transported. Transportation is a big burden right now. We were able to find a bus that would work for our needs if we can raise the money. Finally, I returned to Addis Ababa to prepare the Drop In Center for the arrival of a group of children from Awassa.
MEDICAL CARE AT HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS
Through funds provided by a very generous donor, Hope for the Hopeless has been able to hire a licensed nurse to work between our facilities. Ruth Desta joined the staff over the summer and has been busy examining and treating children, as well as providing health education to the children and the staff. We are overjoyed to have her join us!
THE BURDEN OF TRANSPORTATION
Transportation continues to be an area that is putting a heavy burden not only on the budget, but also on the safety of the children. The children are currently transported to school in hired taxi vans that are commonly known in Ethiopia as “blue devils.” The manner in which the taxi drivers operate their vehicles puts the safety of the children and the program in jeopardy as they travel to school. Additionally, the expense of this transportation is huge, running about $200 USD/week. This burden could be lightened if Hope for the Hopeless could purchase their own vehicle to transport the children. They would have their own driver and also use the bus for hire to generate revenue while the children are in school.
Unfortunately, in Ethiopia, vehicles are extremely expensive and would run upwards of $100,000 USD. Surafel traveled to Dubai in October and found a suitable vehicle for a more reasonable price. The invoiced amount, including shipping from Dubai is around $20,000 USD. We have raised a good portion of this money through donations and fundraisers, but we are still in need of $8,000 to be able to purchase the vehicle. This is currently our most urgent need! If you are interested in donating toward this vehicle, you can now donate online through our website, or traditionally through our mailing address.
AWASSA HIV TRAINING
A Volunteer Shares His Experience From Oct 3 – Oct 10, Rev. Jim Swenson (my brother in-law) and I found ourselves in Ethiopia again. We were invited to attend the “Building HIV/AIDS Competent Church Leadership” conference in Awassa, Ethiopia. The conference was organized by the South Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia and Tesfa Marantha International Evangelical Service, and was sponsored by the Board of Global Ministry of the United Methodist Church in the U.S.
There were 140 Ethiopian pastors and social outreach workers in attendance. A highlight for me was that there were about five Muslim persons in attendance. This is a “first” as far as anyone at the conference knew, as there is absolutely “no love lost” between Christians and Muslims anywhere in Ethiopia. Although throughout the conference there were no attempts to hide the fact that this was a Christian conference about HIV/AIDS, the Muslims in attendance made no attempts to leave the conference. They were there to receive information about HIV/AIDS prevention, and advising people who are HIV+ are living with AIDS. This was a real “breakthrough” as far as I was concerned, and a real demonstration of God’s love for our brothers and sisters.
Jim took responsibility for sharing a daily devotional with the attendees, and I made daily presentations regarding such subjects as: HIV/AIDS counseling techniques, the issue of HIV/AIDS stigma, confidentiality, active listening, self-esteem issues for counselees, and how to ask open-ended questions. Both of us were warmly accepted, and treated with respect.
Jim and I were able to squeeze in a visit to the Hope For the Hopeless orphanage at Sululta, and also to the Drop-in Center in Addis Ababa. As always, we were very impressed by the administration of both programs, managed by Fekadu Shenkute and his very capable assistants. The orphanage has changed a great deal since the last time that Jim and I visited it last year with a work team from Arizona and California. It is working very well, and had a population of about 48 orphans plus staff working there at the time.
All in all, I can say although the trip was a very short one, and very intense, it was a success. I urge everyone who reads this article to continue in their support of Hope for the Hopeless as it continues with its programs in Ethiopia. Paul Aschenbrenner
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS
In an effort to promote long-term self-sufficiency, several possible projects are currently being investigated, considered, and/or implemented. Some of these projects include:
- Biosand or other water filtration
- Gardening/agricultural development on property in Sululta
- Vocational training and business development support for older children who are no longer eligible for schooling
PRAY FOR…
- Wisdom, discernment, health, and perseverance for in-country director, Fekadu, and the staff
- That the children will grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ
- God’s provision and protection for the foster children and their families.
- Funds needed to provide transportation for the children to and from school
CONTACT US
Hope of the Hopeless Project
P. O. Box 80464
Phoenix, AZ 85060-0464
602-258-8048
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.hope4hopeless.org
