Ethiopia Team Update

Well, we’ve been a little held up with blogging by a lack of internet so I wanted to catch everyone up on our mission.

After long days painting murals and re-organizing rooms at Hannah’s Hope, we took off for Gambella. Every trip to Gambella seems to be a little “eventful” in its own way. This time, the cooling system on our plane proved to be inept so we had to switch planes before heading on our way. Never a dull moment! The mini bus ride from the airport was bumpy per usual, but also a fun reminder we were back in Gambella. The rainy season was just finishing there so the jungle landscape was especially thick and green. The streets have also been flooded due to the rain that showed up along with the sun during our time.

On Thursday we took off to purchase supplies for Foten children’s center and to make our first visit to the home. When we arrived it was clear that our project was a little bigger than we had anticipated, but we set in motion to accomplish our goal of getting the home ready for children. The home when we first arrived was really just a shell of a building with big open walls and windows. Great potential, but not yet ready to welcome children. We began by purchasing materials and local laborers to begin partitioning the building into smaller bed rooms, one for boys, one for girls and one for infants. We also left a large portion of the facility open to serve as a playroom. With the partitioning under way, Kerri, Erica and some local friends began putting a bright green color on the walls, which had an instant effect. That day we also drafted masonry plans for filling in gaping walls, hired a metal worker to construct window panes and drafted a plan for a small lavatory close to the home exclusive for the children. So busy!

On Friday we returned to Foten to put as many finishing touches on the home as we could before our departure on Saturday. During that time, the bedrooms of the home really took shape, doors were installed, the metal work for the windows was complete and we started to see the home come to life. Kerri and Erica did an amazing job putting some murals on the playroom walls to really help with the welcoming feel. Lots of hands from Hannah’s Hope staff, AGCI advocates and local friends and workers to see this project completed.

Although we were not able to put all of the finishing touches on the home before we left, our Hannah’s Hope staff stayed behind to ensure beds, kitchen supplies, a water tank and bathroom were all added to the home in preparation for children. Thank you to all of our supporters who made this project possible. I have never seen such a huge transformation in such a short time. We are so thankful for your support in creating this resource for orphaned children in Gambella.

–Kiersten