Water in Soddo…Tears of Joy and Sorrow
Please click the link to the Bowers’ blog to read the full text:
Source: thebowersinafrica.wordpress.com
NCF Trip Update
Friends and family,
This will go down as the trip with tons of technology challenges. Mike Stemm’s computer has not been working. The team has left for Dilla and I am in Soddo at the Bowers helping them with fundraising; helping their daughter with homeschooling; washing dishes…well just a little of everything. Please pray for the health of our team. Mike was quite sick yesterday but seems to have rallied today. Everyone else was holding up well. We still need water in Soddo. Yesterday we were here for a baby rescue for the orphanage which was nice. We have enjoyed time with our Ethiopian friends, Melaku, Sharon, Gebe, Zillie, Boozie (not sure how to spell his name…he’s our driver). We can feel the prayers. Below are the updates written by team members.
-Kristi Burns
February 22, 2011 | CCC Orphanage Recap | Carrie Cole
This afternoon we visited the Children’s Cross Connection (CCC) orphanage. Ato Hanok gave up his successful business to start this orphanage. These are children that are mostly school aged and are not adoptable. The children are placed in family groups. The staff parent is to be involved in each child’s life. The older children also mentor the younger children to create a family atmosphere. Each of the kids also help with cooking, cleaning and other jobs to learn life skills for when it is their time to move out. The children are supported by people like us from the time they come in until they are through with university or a transitional home where they learn to live and work in the community. This allows them to have the education and training to be productive citizens in their home in Ethiopia.
What’s Happening With MItten | Vickie Stemm
The mitten production has moved outdoors in the side yard of Bowers’ home on the Soddo Christian Hospital (SCH) compound. The move was necessitated by the relocation of the CWA orphanage to a temporary smaller facility. The situation is cramped and far less than desirable. The product is so coveted by the caretakers at the 4 orphanages and the hospital staff that the production must go on! Mittin is the nutritional supplement developed her to help improve the health of children in care of the orphanage. It is a combination of 11 regional grains which are washed, dried and hand ground here in the yard. This coarsely ground product is then taken to a mill to be made into a fine powder, which can be mixed with water for the children to drink as a nutritional supplement. Being outdoors in this cramped space is not a great situation. This time of year is hot, and that adds stress for the disabled Ethiopians who do the work… The rainy season is coming in July –September. It will be very difficult to get the grains dried. This is just one of the needs that will be met by the building of the Wolaitta Village project. Every one of the workers here is excitedly awaiting its building and completion.
February 23, 2011 | Wolaitta Village Site Visit, Soddo, Ethiopia | Kevin Cole
Gorgeous is the way to describe the property for the Wolaitta Village project. Set on a west facing hillside overlooking the city of Soddo the site is the future home of the CWA orphanage. The multi-building complex, designed via a collaborative effort coordinated by the University of Arizona School of Architecture will provide a secure and welcoming place for the children that CWA cares for. The children are currently housed in a crowded temporary urban facility in the city and consequently the need for the complex to be constructed is urgent. While much has been accomplished there is much work to be done. Many people continue to devoted their time and talents to His service working towards the vision of the Wolaitta Village project.
