As part of Project Ethiopia, the RLC team traveled with Children’s HopeChest to scout out orphan communities in need of help. None of us can solve world hunger by ourselves but you can make a difference in the lives of 65 children living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
After spending just a few hours with the kids of Moses Children’s House, I was ashamed at how stark and boring it is. Tiny. And the bare walls and concrete floors are reflected in the eyes of the children they house. The home is not loveless but it’s the kind of incomplete love you find from a single parent particularly a widower who has lost the woman he loves and is still finding his way. The kitchen is barely adequate and the sustenance it offers falls far short of food for the soul. One of the girls showed us a booklet of her drawings, poems, and favorite lyrics. She dreams of being a journalist, and we talk about education knowing full well that without intervention she’s far more likely to follow the footsteps of the prostitutes who patrol the nearby street corners. My biggest concern with Moses Children’s House is that we will forget it. What church will help us breathe life and inspiration into these walls and these lives?
What they need?
Family. The children at Moses House need a church family who will offer stability, love them through letters and personal visits, walk with them through life, and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. Here’s an overview of Children’s HopeChest’s Orphanage Sponsorship program. Daniel Clark can help with any questions you or your church may have.
The Basics. Serving these orphans begins with meeting their basic needs for survival. Today, right now, the kids at Moses House do not have enough food, and the house tenancy is far beyond capacity. Children’s HopeChest needs to raise $15K immediately to begin providing food and expanding housing facilities while we find a church sponsor.
Help. Children’s HopeChest is hiring in-country staff to oversee and manage these Orphanage Sponsorships and to identify additional sponsorship opportunities. The field team’s role is threefold: 1) point of continuity, trust, and fun to the kids throughout the year 2) point of financial accountability for orphanage leadership and 3) facilitate connections between the sponsoring church and children in the orphanage.
