At the inception of Awake and Alive, the plan was to work exclusively with an amazing organization located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia called Bright Future. Started in the early 2000′s, it was created by an Ethiopian man that had a heart for the poor, especially children. Bright Future was born to do just that–create bright futures for children who have little hope for any future at all. Children who attend the center receive a supplemental education, as well as food, tutoring, friendship, and other forms of support. Their moms (almost all of whom are widowed) have the chance to participate in health screenings and educational opportunities of their own, as well as develop meaningful relationships with each other.
This is an amazing organization and we will maintain a very close relationship with them. But God knows the plans he has for us, right? And, after talking with Ethiopians both here and abroad and seeking the Lord, we realized that the most dire need is not to open another site for Bright Future, as wonderful as that would be. Instead, we will be working in the same community where Bright Future is located and doing something a little different. Before we get to that, let us tell you about the location–a specific slum within Addis Ababa.
Kechene is a district within Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, of 46,000 people. It has the highest HIV prevalence in the city, with almost 16% of its residents estimated to be suffering from the disease. Because of the AIDS crisis and the devastating impact of poverty and unclean water, the district is filled with widows and their children, or worse, orphan-led households. Many within the district eke out a living by rising at 4 am to get firewood back to the city’s morning market for sale by 7 am. It is not an easy life. They labor, often for up to seventeen hours a day and have very little to show for it.
Many of those opting for this lifestyle are the widowed women who go to collect sticks, while their young children are left at home.
With so little money, and such enormous challenges, the children often have no option but to go out into the world and earn a living, too, to contribute to the family. The work available is physically demanding on these tiny laborers; it is not uncommon to see a boy of around 5 carrying his brother on his back as he goes about his work – selling Kolo (roasted barley). Tiny boys drift about hustling for work shining shoes: this earns about half an American cent a shoe shine.
“The children here have no childhood, and very little idea of play, or fun. They are only concerned about making a little money to eat, so you see them, from a tiny age, bent double carrying wood, or sat working with a weaver all day, which earns them just 1 birr a day, about 12 US cents.”*
BUT THERE IS HOPE.
While reading this may seem totally overwhelming–mind-numbing even–there is something that we can do! Awake and Alive is planning to start a school for the youngest of these children in Kechene ages 4-9 who are the most vulnerable. While Bright Future focuses on children age 9 and above, Awake and Alive’s goal will be to help those younger–the ones who are left at home while their moms are out working. This school will not only provide these precious children with 2 full meals a day and shelter, it will also provide them with an education–a luxury most children in this area cannot afford. Yet, without an education they have very little hope of rising above their current circumstances. With your help, Awake and Alive can change that.
It’s impossible for us to look at these young children and not think of our own little ones. It is very real to us. Let it be very real to you as well. And–PLEASE!–go beyond just wishing it was different and DO something about it!!! Help send 90 of the most vulnerable children to school, slotted to begin September 2012. It IS possible.
*The information about Kechene was largely taken from http://reliefweb.int/node/172142.