Ethiopian Orphan Relief

I wanted to share with you something that is very close to my heart.  I've said before how one of my biggest passions in life, even from the time I was a little girl, has been helping the orphans in Africa.  Once I had a steady job and was making my own money, one of the first things I was able to do was "adopt" a child over in that amazing continent! My little boy is named Gift {I know, how fitting!} and has been the biggest blessing in my life! I love getting letters from him with pictures he has drawn for me. {He sends me a nine year old boy's rendition of a car, goat, house and of course, a self-drawn portrait! How fabulous!!} Anyway, that's beside the point.  A few years ago, I was privileged to meet an amazing woman who started a home for girls in Ethiopia who had lost one or both parents to the AIDS epidemic.  The program is called Children's Heaven and currently sponsors 75 girls with nearly 150 on the waiting list to be sponsored. It's an amazing organization and has been making a huge difference!!



But before I go any further, let me just address something that I know you're all thinking....no, I'm not going to ask you to give money. I'm here to ask you to do something much more simple.  On Sunday morning I received this email from Hanna Fanta, the head of Children's Heaven, about the current state of the organization:

Dear Sponsors, Partners, friends and family,

It is because of our continuing partnership with Ethiopian Orphan Relief (EOR) that our precious orphan girls are still able to get their basic needs and continue to have hope to fulfill their visions.  Due to their great help, Children’s Heaven has been able to have a long term rental home where the girls currently have different activities of tutoring, counseling & mentoring, vocational skills of crafts as well as cooking, bathing & hair braiding. 

Last year, during Christmas (as part of Project Gena) EOR sent our girls a Christmas gift of backpacks filled with small gifts of various items for our girls (including candies!).  I wish you could see the smiles of our girls when they received their first ever Christmas gifts in their lives. 

In addition to bringing our girls soccer balls & sport clothes, EOR has also given us a fund to start feeding our girls one nutritious meal per day which has made a tremendous effect in their health, education and self-esteem.

Also, the purchase of books and a beautiful shelf happened due to their continued support to Children’s Heaven services to orphan girls.  

As most of you know, Children’s Heaven must evacuate its current facility due to the owner wanting to bump the rent three times more than we are paying right now.  This is an unheard of rent increase.  As a result, we have no hope of renewing our contract and are not yet finding other houses to rent which are safe and convenient for our girls.  Children’s Heaven girls have no place to move for their continuing daily benefits after December 7^th, 2011.  As a result, we are stressed with time and the situation.

This is to let everybody know that we are thankful for all of what EOR is doing for our Children’s Heaven girls and that we would like to urge all of you to please vote for EOR in the 3^rd Annual CLASSY Awardsfor their great achievements before the voting time ends. 

Please read the comment EOR put on their facebook:

“If Ethiopian Orphan Relief wins the classy award, the $15,000 will go towards the purchase of land so these amazing, resilient, loving young girls will continue to have a safe place to stay.”

WOW! We at Children’s Heaven are all excited and amazed by their kindness and hard work to help the orphan girls at Children’s Heaven.  Using this opportunity we would like to say thank you to all the wonderful people with a beautiful heart in EOR and their supporters.  

Here is the connection to vote.  Please go to this website: 

http://classyawards.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/voting and then click on                 

Most Innovative Use of Social Media By A Charity for EOR Project Gena (Ethiopian Christmas).

With deepest regards,

Hanna Fanta and the Girls of Children's Heaven

Hanna with one of the girls

Simple enough, right?! After you get done voting, if you could please, please, PLEASE spread the word about this {on facebook, twitter, re-blog this note, friends and family, etc}, we could really make a difference in these girls' lives!!!  And if you would like to learn more about this incredible organization or are interested in sponsoring a child {here}, please take the time to stop by their website {here}! In the meantime, get to know some of the girls that live there!

Future site of Children's Heaven

{All pictures courtesy of ChildrensHeaven.org}