The Inspiration
Warm Ethiopian rain drenches you in an unexpected torrential downpour. Winding down a flower adorned bumpy dirt road you are approached by three small children wearing rags, their hands outstretched, hoping for a gift of money, food....anything. In their young eyes you see sadness and desperation. They are street kids, many orphaned due to HIV/AIDS or other diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
These children are a few of the many who live alone and fend for themselves on the streets of urban centers with more migrating from rural villages every day. Non governmental organizations have estimated that up to 600,000 children live on the streets of Ethiopia. They are looking for opportunity but have scarce prospects of a secure life or receiving an education. Many run away from abusive living situations only to be subjected to economic and sexual exploitation while on the streets, often forced into child labor and prostitution.
In 2007, I spent 6 months volunteering at an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; I witnessed this everyday. For me, seeing the desolation of the street children, some as young as 5 or 6, void of any social safety net to help them, was heartbreaking.
I've continued to stay in contact with a friend, Thomas, who's passion for finding a way to help the street children is the inspiration for Awadeshalo Project. While many people, understandably, want to leave Ethiopia in search of opportunity and an escape from poverty, his compassion leads him to stay and he is eager to work with us upon our return.
Awadeshalo (Awoo-dea-sha-low) in Amharic means love. So help me spread it!
Educational Links about Ethiopia, street children and permaculture:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ethiopia_30783.html
http://wwww.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/AllDocsByUNID/e1864d818986354985256e4a007102b4
http://zionbytheabbay.blogspot.com/
