reachingHISkids

Picture taken in January 2011

Shanto, Ethiopia is a village of about 8,000 people located in southern Ethiopia.  It is very rural, a 30 minute drive to the nearest town.  Children's HopeChest is helping me help a ministry called Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (FOVC).  FOVC is a Christian school that has 150 children in their sponsorship program (see tab above to learn more about sponsoring one of the 55 remaining children) and an additional 75 other children attending school.  They have a wonderful staff who are working hard to educate and love these children.  Our team will be delivering gift bags from the sponsors, clothing, school supplies and sugarless gum :-)  I had to bring a treat for the children!  We have a doctor on the team who will be doing medical exams on all 150 children in the sponsorship program.  I will be meeting individually with each child, photographing them and we are also doing crafts with the children.  We also have a farm veterinarian on the team who will be doing some vet work around the village.  

We aren't necessarily needed.  The truth is, there are wonderful capable people in Ethiopia to care for these children.  I am thankful they have allowed us to partner with them, use our skills and raise funds and awareness to help them.