I've had bad luck with the internet and computers today, so this will
be short and sweet...

- We made red paper lanterns and a yellow and white paper chain to
decorate little A for Xmas. The kids went NUTS with the chain. We
couldn't get them to stop. We listened to music while working. The
kids new a bunch of the songs and sang in funny voices. The caregivers
and I were cracking up.
- The Xmas program was yesterday. I understand what it's like now to
be a proud parent and enjoy those silly plays and songs and dances.
They each got a Xmas/Bday present. Since there are so many kids and we
don't know all of their bdays, everyone's is celebrated at the
program. We wrapped all those gifts. The kids LOVED it! It was such a
sweet day.
- Today we shopped Churchill Ave. It was great. I can't wait to shop the NGO's.

It's very easy to forget that each of these children have a story.
Yesterday, I experienced something that reminded me of this. It
absolutely reminded me of why I am here. The event was very personal
and not something I am comfortable talking about in such a public
forum. It has nothing to do with Ahope or the children. Dan, Judi, and
I are all perfectly safe and having no troubles. But if you are the
praying/sending good vibes type I'd appreciate it if you could say
one. Please just pray for health, that the right decision was made,
and that those involved will be comforted. I've never experienced
anything like this. My passion for alleviating poverty and keeping
children in this country increased tenfold.

More soon...

The last 2 days have been pretty great. We're adjusting to Addis and the guest house quite nicely. Dan is our resident African GPS and bug killer. He claims he killed a maggot in the bathroom this morning. I'm choosing to believe it was something else. Christmas is coming soon and the kids are putting on a program on Sunday. In preparation, Dan & Judi sorted, wrapped, and labeled 150 Christmas presents for the kids. Each child at Little Ahope, Big Ahope, and the CDC will be getting a gift wrapped in shiny paper. Yay!

We stopped for lunch yesterday at a cute cafe and stumbled upon a coffee ceremony. These are very common in Ethiopia and the owner of the cafe invited us to join her. She also gave her phone number to us in case we need anything during our stay. Most Ethiopians we encounter are so happy to have us here. Most want to say hello and practice their English. Any time someone gives us a bit of a hard time, another Ethiopian steps in. I always say it but the hospitality here is so wonderful here.

Last night we spent a bit of time at Big Ahope. They now have a foosball table! The kids took turns playing with Dan, Judi, and me. We learned that both Judi and I suck at foosball, but Dan is amazing. The kids were impressed by his skills. 

Today we went shopping at a micro finance handicraft shop in the Mexico neighborhood. We got some fun things and it all goes towards helping others. My kind of shopping! Not to mention it didn't exactly break the bank. The exchange rate is now 16 birr to 1 dollar. This afternoon we are going to stop for some mixed juice and then do some arts & crafts with the little kids. We are decorating the orphanage compound for the Christmas program with construction paper windsocks, lanterns, and paper chains. We'll also be listening to some great kids' songs...thanks again, Erin! 

I have no idea what our plans for tonight will be, but I'm sure something exciting will come up. Every day here is an adventure!

Baggage Fun

As I previously mentioned, my carry on was checked at the gate in Frankfurt. It didn't make the flight and was supposed to arrive Wednesday night. Yesterday I went to the airport to get it. Everything was going very smoothly until the lady started writing Dan's name on the claim slip. Guess what. The lovely lady in Germany not only failed to put my bag on the flight...she also put the bag in Dan's name. Since he wasn't with me and I didn't have his passport they refused to release it to me. Thanks, Lufthansa!!! We went back this morning and Dan had to search through a room full of bags for mine. I finally have it. Until less than an hour ago I had been wearing the same clothes since Monday. As they say here in Addis, Chigger Yellum (no problem)!

Dear Family and Friends,
We all arrived to Addis safely! Well, I guess not all of us. One of
my bags is still in Frankfurt. Of course it's the bag containing my
clothes, not the donations. It was a carry on but the gate attendant
made me check it because the flight was full. Hopefully I'll get it
tomorrow!
I was reunited with Selam, our housekeeper, this morning. I was wide
awake at 5 am because I couldn't wait to see her. I think she was just
as excited! She made a great breakfast of crepes and tea. :)
I saw most of my Ahope kids today. They didn't know I was coming and
the looks on their faces were priceless. The big kids were at Little A
practicing for their Christmas program on Sunday. K, the girl my
parents sponsor child, braided half of my hair before it was time to
leave. I'm sporting quite the fancy hairdo! Most of the little kids
were surprised when I knew their names and didn't show much
recognition of me. As soon as I said my name, it was like a light bulb
went off and they remembered SO much about my last trip. One of the
boys, A, is still trying to teach me more Amharic. I hope he's
impressed by what I remember.
There's lots of new kids at Little Ahope. One little girl loves to
say, "anchi!" (you) and then I reply "enni?" (me?). She always laughs
and says "ow" (yes). Then we switch roles and repeat a million times.
She's hilarious.
Lots is going on here as it's almost Ethiopian Christmas. Tomorrow
at 9:30 am we're wrapping 200 gifts for the kids at Little Ahope, Big
Ahope, and the Community Development Center. The Christmas program is
January 2nd and Christmas is January 7th. January 8th I'm taking the
kids to Sodere, the hot springs again. Can't wait! We're also going to
be doing game night on Wednesdays with the big kids. Glad we have lots
of ideas! :)
Overall it's been a great day! I'll keep you all updated!

And We're Off!

The day has finally arrived!

Packing has been quite interesting. Both of my checked bags are donations and then I have a little suitcase for myself that will be a carry on. We have 6 checked bags total and countless carry ons! This is just a tiny tiny portion of the goodies on their way. :)

We have some great activities planned! Fun stuff from face painting and drawing with sidewalk chalk to arts & craft projects like making salt dough and paper bag dogs and cats. We'll also be doing some more serious (but still fun!) self-esteem boosting activities. Oh, and of course game night will be back! As you can tell we've been busy!

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to this trip! I know all 3 of us have been overwhelmed by the checks/supplies/time/ideas donated by you all. You have helped make this trip a reality!

We should be logging on every few days, so be sure to check for updates!

Ethiopia Reads - Finally Meeting Jane Kurtz

It began a year and a half ago. Prior to my 1st Ethiopian trip, I planned on spending a day at Shola Children's Library in Addis which was run by Ethiopia Reads. As soon as I walked through the gate I noticed this:


Who are these people and how in the world is Kansas involved with something going on in Ethiopia? I posted this on my blog and my Step-Dad sprung into action. He was able to contact Stan & Le Ann Clark who are very involved with Ethiopia Reads. They receive, organize, and ship the books to Ethiopia. They also live a few minutes drive from my parents! Now my parents live in a small rural town, so this is a HUGE coincidence! Ever since my trip, my Mom has been helping LeAnn organize the books.

Earlier today, Jane Kurtz came to town to speak about her latest books. She wrote the books for American Girl's doll of the year, Lanie. Jane grew up in Ethiopia and is highly involved in Ethiopia Reads. All of the donations from today went to this great organization. Jane was SO nice and I immediately felt at ease talking with her. We've been hearing about each other for quite awhile and she made me feel as if she was just as excited to meet me as I was to meet her. She is a huge inspiration to me, it was great to talk with her for awhile! In addition to buying books for myself, I got a signed book for my AHOPE kids. It has both English and Amharic on each page. I think they'll really like it!

Ethiopia Reads works hard to provide children in Ethiopia with books. They help add libraries to schools and also started numerous DONKEY mobile libraries! See one in action here (First pause the music on my page on the Ipod):

Ethiopia Reads - Donkey Mobile Libraries from Brent Weaver on Vimeo.

If you are looking for a great organization to support, I highly recommend Ethiopia Reads. See their website here: http://ethiopiareads.org/home.

Trip #2!

I'm back! For the last year and a half I have been dreaming of returning to Ethiopia and spending more time with my favorite kids! I am so lucky that my dream is coming true! I am returning to AHOPE this month, and I can not contain my excitement!

Even better, I have recruited 2 other people to go with me! Ever since my first trip, my cousin, Dan, said he wanted to see AHOPE. He was kind enough to agree to go with me this time! Once our plans were made public, a great friend, Judi, asked if she could join us. I'm so grateful that they're willing to give up their time to see a place so close to my heart. That's 2 more people that will get to experience Ethiopia and tell others about this amazing country!

Unfortunately, we're only able to spend 2 1/2 weeks there this time, but we are going to make the most of it. I'm so excited about some of our awesome ideas and can't wait to share them with you! More will be coming soon!

Think the kids will enjoy these? :)

We're BAAAAACK!

Trip #2 is in the works!!!

More updates soon. :)

Home Sweet Home

I have now been home for a week. I've caught you all up on my time in Ethiopia, so I will quickly catch you up on my journey home. It took over 26 hours for me to get home, but 16 of those hours were in 1st class, so I certainly can't complain too much.
I finally arrive in Wichita. I'm exhausted. I figure I will see O, my Mom, and my Step-Dad. We will quickly get my luggage and then I will go take my first hot shower that actually has water pressure. Instead, I had a welcome home party at the airport! Complete with signs, balloons, & flowers. Because that's not embarrassing :). Thank you so much to everyone who came! I really appreciated it!


I've pretty much been catching up on sleep this past week. Oh and I was also reunited with Boo Radley & Triscuit :).
Last weekend my Mom and Step-Dad threw me a big welcome home barbecue. It was so nice to show everyone pictures and tell many of my stories! The best part, however, was that I had surprise guests! Remember how I recently wrote about Ethiopia Reads and the Shola Children's Library? I noticed a shipping container that mentioned Kansas. Well my Step-Dad went ahead and found the couple who support Ethiopia Reads! Even better, they live within a couple miles of my parents' ranch! It was amazing to talk with people who had been to Ethiopia and who have been such a huge part of a great organization! It was so nice meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Clark!!!
I think that pretty much ends this blog. Thank you so much for reading about my experiences! It meant so much to receive all of your emails and support through out the summer!

Fistula Hospital

It was extremely important to me that I visit the Fistula Hospital before I left Addis. I had heard of this hospital before, but I never knew what they did, or even what fistula was, until I saw the documentary, A Walk to Beautiful.

Fistula is basically a hole that causes women to constantly leak urine and/or feces. There are a few different ways that fistula is caused, but it often occurs when a woman is in labor. Fistula is pretty much unheard of in the U.S. because of our access to healthcare. Not everyone is as lucky as us, however. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 2 million women around the world have untreated fistula.

That's the most frustrating part. In most cases, a simple and inexpensive (to us) operation can repair this damage. The Fistula Hospital's website states that for U.S. $450 they can perform one surgery, provide post op care, and give the woman a new dress as well as bus fare home. Most women in Sub-Saharan Africa can't afford this, however. Many women live in rural areas and have no access to health care. So these women, who are often kicked out of their homes, are forced to live with this embarrassing problem, even though it is so easy to fix.

That's where the Fistula Hospital comes in. They provide free care to these women. Not only that, they also provide counseling and training. They even teach the women who can not be cured a trade. Their handicrafts are then sold in a shop on the hospital grounds. Inspeaking of the grounds, I could not get over how beautiful they were! It was like walking around the Botanical Garden. Incredibly peaceful and serene.

I have provided the link to the documentary below. Please, please, please watch it. It is incredibly moving.
Here is the link to the foundation's website as well: http://www.fistulafoundation.org/index.html

Watch the movie here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w-fOmovijc

Is That a Starbucks or a Stackbucks?

For those of you who don't know, coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder named Kaldi, around the year 850, when he noticed that his goats were very jittery after eating the beans off of the plant.

Coffee is a really big deal in Ethiopia. I don't normally drink coffee, but I definitely had my share of macchiatos this summer. It's hard to avoid them, as there are coffee places on every block.

One of my favorite coffee places is Kaldis. Kaldis is very unusual because there are 9 of them around Addis. Here, you can order drinks like a caramel frapuchino (not my spelling) and other drinks that sound strangely familiar. It is also unusual because they look like this...














We also stumbled across this little gem while in Harar...

Harar

The weekend of July 10th-12th, I was finally able to travel to the city of Harar. This time, Tiffany & I decided to drive, in case Ethiopian Airlines cancelled the flight again. I am SO glad we drove! It took about 12 hours to get there, but the scenery was beautiful!
Our first stop was to Awash National Park. This is a really pretty area with a lake and lots of exotic birds. We also had time for some game viewing! We saw a lot of Oryx (an animal kind of like an antelope). We also saw a pretty waterfall.
When we were maybe halfway through our drive, and in the middle of nowhere, we saw a lone Gelada babboon! Gelada babboons are endemic to Ethiopia. Our guide said it was very strange that we saw one because they are normally not found in that area and they are always in groups.
The scenery on the way to Harar was absolutely breathtaking. I was so tired, but I could only sleep for 30 min because I kept staring out my window.
Harar is a really great city! The people were very friendly, as well as proud to be from Harar. We saw lots of colorful markets, women carrying very heavy loads on their heads (I later practiced this and failed miserably), and the hyena man.
The Hyena man feeds the hyenas just outside of the gates every night. Sometimes he even feeds them by mouth. I had the option of feeding them...and I took it, although I used a stick rather than my mouth...I didn't think my travel insurance would be willing to cover any medical expenses that may cause.
While in Ethiopia, I had a list of foods that I wanted to try. When we stopped for lunch on Saturday, I noticed that kitfo, an Ethiopian dish, was on the menu. I had been told to order it yebesellum (cooked), because most Ethiopians eat their meat raw. My guide ordered for me and specifically told the server that this meal was for a foreigner so it really needed to be cooked. This is what it looked like. We asked if it was cooked and the server claimed it was. When I showed this picture to AHOPE's social worker later that week, he laughed so hard and showed the other staff member this picture. It was definitely raw. I can't believe I didn't get sick.

Here are some more pics!

Hot Springs!

Before leaving for Ethiopia, I set aside a certain amount of money that I personally wanted to give to AHOPE. I wanted to see exactly what it went towards, and what would be better (and more fun!) than a field trip?! I talked with A., AHOPE's Social Worker, and with my budget, we decided we could take a trip to the hot springs in Sodere, a few hours outside of Addis.

We had a GREAT time! About 45 kids from Big Ahope were able to go to Sodere. On the bus ride there, we finger knitted and played Bingo (I can now count to 75 in Amharic, thank you very much). Once we got there, most of the kids jumped right in! I was a little surprised that there is actually a pool there. It looked as if we were in the U.S., with one exception. There were monkeys EVERYWHERE!!! They were so much fun to watch! One monkey was missing his front right leg...just like Triscuit (my cat)! The kids had a great time swimming and splashing around in the water. They constantly wanted to show me different tricks they could do. The kids who decided not to swim had a great time watching the monkeys or taking pictures with my cameras. We also had really great Ethiopian food and ice cream (Thanks for the ice cream, Carly!) :). On the bus ride home, we did some more finger knitting, and once it was dark enough, we played with those glowing, neon-colored bracelets that you can get at festivals. The kids (and adults) had lots of fun!

A Lesson Learned

I haven't talked too much about my schedule here at Ahope, so allow
me to fill you in a little bit. I spend a great deal of time at both
Big and Little Ahope. I teach some English and we do lots of arts and
crafts. Every Thursday, however, I take 3 minibuses and spend an hour
traveling to Ahope's Community Development Center (CDC). Every
adoption agency in Ethiopia is required to have some sort of program
that helps children stay in their own country. Ahope's program is the
CDC. There are over 70 kids there who come every day for meals,
activities, and overall care. Because it is a little out of the way,
not many volunteers go to the CDC.
Originally, I thought that I would be more involved in helping the
community while working at the CDC. Actually, I am doing the exact
same thing that I do at Big and Little Ahope...play with the kids. To
be honest, I generally do not enjoy my Thursday commute. The staff is
amazing, but it is 2 hours round trip (which is nothing compared to
what many Chicagoans do), and there are quite honestly, a lot of kids,
and since they don't get many volunteers, any that do come are VERY
popular. I typically have many children fighting for every second of
my attention.
Last Thursday, I was not looking forward to going to the CDC. It
was raining and I was very tired and really would have preferred to
relax. I made a commitment though, so I arrived at my scheduled time.
The previous week, we taught the kids the song, "You are my
Sunshine". Thursday's activity was to make suns, clouds, and happy
faces out of construction paper. Then when we would sing the song,
they could wave their pictures. They had such a great time! They
were so much more appreciative of us than the kids at Big and Little
Ahope since they rarely have a volunteer's attention. I immediately
fed off of their energy and was running around hugging, kissing, and
high fiving all of the kids. At the end, the nurse pulled me aside
and thanked me for my enthusiasm and told me I was doing a great job
with the kids and that he was so glad I was regularly coming to the
CDC. WOW. I left the CDC that day feeling so incredibly happy and
humbled.
It was such a good lesson for me that sometimes the things we really
don't want to do are the most rewarding. I can not wait to go back
this Thursday.

Gladney Part 3

Are you all tired of my Gladney posts? I hope not! Last Wed. I
once again had the opportunity to tag along with Gladney's in country
rep, Travis. This time we toured Gladney's foster care centers. I
realize I am very biased, but these were the best centers for children
that I have seen in this country so far!!! The caregiver to child
ratio was unbelievable, and it was so clear that these children are
very loved.
We were able to meet a few of the families currently picking up
there children. They were all so nice! I have been reading one
family's blog for a long time and did not realize they had passed
court since I left home. I was SO happy to see them and meet their
sweet sweet children :).
First, we toured 3 of the 4 Gladney houses. We were able to hold
some ADORABLE babies :). They have pictures of their families above
their beds, which was so sweet to see. We also had a very nice coffee
ceremony. Honestly, I felt a little intrusive during this time
because it was so difficult for the caregivers to say goodbye to these
children. I just tried to stay out of the families' way as much as
possible. It was so emotional for everyone involved. It really is
nice to see how much these children are cared for. Nice and sad at
the same time, if that makes any sense.
Next, we went to a restaurant that I have been wanting to try for a
while now, Top View. Top View is on a mountain and has a gorgeous
view of the city. Unfortunately, big tall buildings are going up and
obstructing the view. Travis says the restaurant will soon be called
Top, haha.
Later that evening, I was able to have dinner with Travis and his
family. They were so sweet to allow me to see their work here in
Addis. It was so great getting to know them and Gladney better during
my time here in Ethiopia.
Do you think I should start doing Gladney's advertising yet? haha.

4th of July

Hey everyone!!! I hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July! Mine
was pretty good, here in Ethiopia.
I started off the morning with a visit to the Shola Children's
Library. This is the Ethiopia Reads library. It is the only free
library for children in all of Ethiopia! Maybe you have heard of
them? Their founder is one of CNN's Heroes, and has been highlighted
on CNN before. This was my 2nd trip to Shola, and as always, it was
fun to talk with the kids! On their property, Ethiopia Reads has a
huge container the size of one of those Pods storage containers. This
is interesting because it is all painted and says "With love from
Kansas". It also mentions that books are donated from the Kansas
Reading Association. Does anyone know anything about this?
After the library, Tiffany and I met up with Ahope's Social Worker to
have a few macchiatos. We had a great time and he was nice enough to
show us a few important shops around the city (including a great place
to buy coffee!). We ended up spending a few hours with him and
stopping at 2 different cafes for drinks. He also invited us to his
house later that evening for a coffee ceremony.
Next, we headed over to Big Ahope where we played Uno with the kids
for about an hour. Then we walked the couple of blocks to the Social
Worker's house. We brought cookies from a pastry shop and had a great
time drinking coffee, eating cookies and popcorn, and chatting with
him and a few of his friends. We were able to talk about various
social issues in the U.S. and in Ethiopia. It was a really great
experience!
For dinner that night, I decided to have some American food as a way
of celebrating the 4th of July. The only person to wish us a happy
4th all day was the Social Worker. He was so cute, he said, "It is
the 4th of July! Do I say Congratulations?". There is a really great
restaurant by our house that has different types of food like Mexican,
American, and Asian. I had a great cheeseburger. I tried to have
apple pie for dessert but it was yellum (they didn't have any).
Instead I had one of the best hot fudge sundaes that I've ever had. I
love food in Ethiopia!

Marley

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your emails and for sending Marley
positive thoughts! Unfortunately, Marley did not make it. It is
still strange walking home and not having him greet us at the gate.
Bob is pretty sad too, but I am trying to give him extra attention!

This is Africa

One thing that I have used a lot of, here in Ethiopia, is my
patience. I am a pretty positive person, but at times, even I have
been impressed with how flexible I can be. A few people that I know
use the phrase, "This is Africa" to explain such situations.
Originally, I was supposed to fly to Dire Dawa Friday morning and then
drive one hour to Harar. Late Thursday night, I received a phone call
from Ethiopian Air saying that there was bad weather in Dire Dawa and
the flight was cancelled. At least they called! I immediately tried
to contact the tour company, but I could not get through to them.
The next morning I arrived at the Hilton by 7:15 to inform the tour
company that I would not be going on the tour. The nice lady in the
office said she did not know what to do and that we should come back
later to talk with the boss. To make a very long story short, it took
6 hours to straighten everything out between 2 tour companies and
Ethiopian Airlines. After all of that, I needed a nap!
The new plan is to drive to Harar this Friday with a new tour
company. We are also stopping at a National Park for some game
viewing along the way! It should be fun!
Even when things don't work out at first, they always have a way of
turning out for the best. This is Africa!

This is Africa

One thing that I have used quite a bit in Ethiopia is my patience.
I am pretty impressed with how flexible I have been and how I have
managed to stay pretty positive. I know a few people that use the
phrase, "This is Africa" to describe the funny situations that they
encounter. This past weekend, the plan was to fly to Dire Dawa,
Ethiopia and then drive one hour to visit Harar. Late Thursday night,
I received a phone call from Ethiopian Airlines saying that there was
bad weather in Dire Dawa and that our flight was cancelled for the
next morning. I tried to call our tour company right away, but I
could not get through. I was at the Hilton by 7:30 the next morning
to let the tour company know that we would not be going to Harar and
needed to reschedule. This was hilarious because Ethiopian Airlines
changed put us on a flight on Sunday that left one hour before our
return flight left Dire Dawa. It ended up taking 6 hours to
straighten everything out with 2 tour companies and Ethiopian
Airlines. After all of that I needed a nap!
The new plan is to drive to Harar with a new tour company this
coming Friday. On the way there, we will get to see a National Park
that has game viewing! We will be back on Sunday.
Also, I wanted to thank everyone for their emails and positive
thoughts for Marley. Unfortunately, Marley did not make it. It is
very strange to walk home and not have him greet us. Bob is pretty
sad too.

Zenab

I don't think that I have talked much about the weather in Addis.
I'm sure that when you think of Addis Ababa, you think of a very hot
and dry African city. That is certainly not the case here! Addis is
high up in the mountains, so the weather is actually cooler. We
probably have a good amount of days in the 80's, but it sure can get
chilly at night! Most days are probably in the 70's. Right now, we
just entered the rainy season. It rains (Zenab) every day. When it
rains, the temperature drops quite a bit. I actually spend most of
the day walking around in a sweatshirt!
Tomorrow, I am heading out of the city for the weekend. I will be
in Harar, which is an old Muslim city that has a wall all the way
around it. If you have seen the Ethiopian episode of Bizarre Foods,
they spent a good amount of time in Harar. Harar is also famous for
the hyena man. Basically, this guy feeds the hyenas outside of the
gate every night. He often feeds them by mouth (ewwwww!!!). It
should be interesting to see.
I have been spending some time this week arranging something pretty
exciting. Hopefully I will be ready to share it with you all next
week!!!

Have a great weekend!!!!