Why Ethiopia?

Another frequent question we're asked is, "Why Ethiopia?" The true answer to this questions is simply ...We didn't find Ethiopia, it found us! As we started this journey we looked at domestic adoption and almost every possible foreign country. However, we feel that God has lead us to Ethiopia for a purpose. As we've travelled down this road we must confess that the experience and the learning have been life-altering. We are forever changed.

Let us share with you a bit of what we have learned and why we think we've been guided to Ethiopia. Start with viewing the short film located above this post by a wonderful author, Melissa Fay-Green. You may visit her website and find excerpts from a fascinating book I've read regarding the HIV/AIDS orphan crisis in Ethiopia. I strongly recommend it to you. It gives an incredible overview of why the African continent and it's children are facing this daunting challenge.

You can visit her website by clicking on this link.

http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com

The Chicago Tribune named this the best book of 2006.

Some of the things we have learned reading her book are:
* Nearly two thirds of school-age children are not in school in Ethiopia, nearly the worst record in the world, and only 41 percent of adults can read.
*81% of Ethiopia's people live on less than two dollars a day, and 26 percent live on less than a dollar a day, the marker for absolute poverty in the world.
*up to 25% of the country's sixty-five million people are not able to eat even once a day.
*Decent sanitation facilities elude 90% of Ethiopians.
*75% lacked access to clean water.
*90% of laboring mother gave birth without any medical assistance (compare to 66%in the rest of Africa south of the Sahara)

Last week the New York Times published an interesting article about the effects of Malnutrition on children in Ethiopia. Click on the link to read this interesting article. You will have to register if not a member of the NYTimes online. Right after you register(which is free) The article will pop up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/28/world/africa/28malnutrition.html?ex=157680000&en=beb0b8beb87d451a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink