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 I am so happy to report on the launch of the Kolfe Youth Orphanage sponsorship through our church, Olivet Lutheran. This morning our small group had the opportunity to present this amazing group of boys to a group at church in the first of a number of introductions leading up to the "Connection Day" on February 22nd. Olivet is sponsoring Kolfe through the Children's HopeChest sponsorship program.

KOLFE YOUTH ORPHANAGE
Olivet Lutheran Church has been paired with a very special orphanage in Ethiopia. This government-run orphanage is situated on a dumping ground; where every window is broken out of every building except the offi ce. The only thing more prominent than garbage and glass on the ground is the red dust that covers every square inch. The boys range in age from 12 years old to over 20. There is very little outside help for this orphanage because there are no girls. Many non-government agencies focus on helping girls to keep them out of prostitution. The likelihood of these boys becoming future husbands, fathers and leaders is limited to their opportunities.

But what these boys do have is a joy and spirit that despite their circumstances will simply amaze you. With guidance and support from their new family they will be able to attain the dreams that every boy has.

Join us on this journey by watching the kick-off video for Kolfe!

 
Kolfe Youth Orphanage/Olivet Lutheran Coming together from David Held on Vimeo.

Have you ever thought that you would love to get involved, but don’t know how, or how can I, just one person, make a true impact. I am here to tell you that there are organizations our there that have build the framework for you to provide immediate impact to entire communities. One such organization is Children’s HopeChest. They have build a program where they connect a Church community directly with an orphanage that needs true, long term support. Here's an overview ofChildren's HopeChest's orphanage sponsorship program.

All it takes is one person to become passionate about a cause and share that passion with a small group of others, that in turns gets others excited. Start in your church and see what can happen.

What do children in these orphanages need? Long term, holistic, redemptive care.

Redemptive. The Orphan Sponsorship Program is a ministry that provides the opportunity for an orphan to know God, experience the blessing of family, and acquire the skills necessary for life.

Long term. The children at New Hope need a church family, who will offer stability, love them through letters and personal visits, walk with them through life, and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them.

Holistic. Specific benefits include the opportunity for orphans to meet and overcome many of the challenges they face. Enhancing a child's environment, emotional network, health, education and spiritual development alike, a child who feels abandoned is given special attention from a sponsor who truly cares. The Orphan Sponsorship program benefits the children in three main categories: discipleship, relationships with sponsors and Ethiopian adults, and Birthday/Christmas gifts and parties. Funds are pooled together for each location to address the challenges for every child at the location through addressing identified spiritual, medical, emotional, educational and physical needs.

Below are three orphanages that need your support. The Answer is you! – click on this link to view an amazing video of the children in Ethiopia that need your support.

The New Hope Center for Children and Handicapped (New Hope) is about 2.5 hours west of Addis Ababa in a rural farming community called Ambo. The center houses 37 children and serves 30 more from neighboring communities who badly need institutional care. The government has identified approximately 480 orphans in the area, which New Hope would also like to serve but their facilities are beyond capacity. The Center’s Director, Suleiman, is a soft-spoken but inspirational and committed young man. In many ways, he represents hope for these kids as well as sustenance. Having been raised in this orphanage himself after his parents died in the Great Famine of 1984, Suleiman rose against the odds to earn Bachelor and Masters Degrees from Addis Ababa University.

Sam Henry of Red Letters Campaign had this to say about Ambo.

Our escort, Suleiman Bayu, is a young man of maybe 30 with a heart as big asTexas and a commitment to orphans that is nothing short of heroic.

Today Suleiman is taking our group of 6 to the first orphanage on our itinerary — his. The New Hope Center for Children and Handicapped is about 2.5 hours west of Addis in a rural farming community called Ambo. The Center serves 67 orphans on site and another ~120 with special needs in surrounding areas. To meet the needs of an orphan community of this size we’re going to have to go beyond traditional options for orphan care like adoption and individual child sponsorship. Suleiman knows this all too well having grown up as an Ethiopian orphan himself after his parents died in the great famine of 1984.

Mike Todd, also on the trip with Red Letters Campaign and Children’s Hopechest had this to say.

We ended up collecting $2080 online. With some offline donations and some personal money I took $2300 to give away. Our first "deposit" was made into an orphanage near Ambo, which was about 2.5 hours from Addis. There we met Suleiman Bayu. Suleiman runs another orphanage in Addis, and uses his salary from that job to maintain the Ambo orphanage "on the side". Sam has written up our Ambo experience here, but I'll tell you, this guy Suleiman is incredible. We left $1000 with him.

To view amazing photos of these children and the orphanage, please visit Mike’s site. Simply amazing.

130 boys, ages 12-20 located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This government-run orphanage is situated on a dumping ground; where every window is broken out of every building except the office. The only thing more prominent than garbage and glass on the ground is the red dust that covers every square inch. The boys range in age from 12 years old to over 20. There is very little outside help for this orphanage because there are no girls. Many non-government agencies focus on helping girls to keep them out of prostitution. The likelihood of these boys becoming future husbands, fathers and leaders is limited to their opportunities.

Sam Henry of Red Letters Campaign had this to say about Kolfe:

After spending just a few hours with the young men at Kolfe Youth Orphanage, I am struck by how polite, engaging and smart they are. There is a spirit among these lost boys that at first look seems unbreakable but I was deeply troubled by the absolute squalor of Kolfe more than any other place we visited. Upon arrival Ashunafi (the group’s apparent leader) and the boys invite us to play volleyball and soccer on a dirt field and the rowdiness of boys rules the day. They are so conversational I almost don’t realize that the orphanage is situated on a dumping ground; that every window is broken out of every building except the office; that the only thing more prominent than garbage and glass on the ground is the red dust that covers every square inch of this horrible place. The lone rosebush between rows of decrepit dormitories and brambles reinforces for me that life at a place like Kolfe is destitute and full of thorns.

To borrow Tom’s analogy, I see two roads for these boys ages 12-20. Down the first I see the future husbands, fathers, leaders of Ethiopia. These boys were amazing! Down the second I see death. I will occasionally use hyperbole to make a point but be clear that this is not one of those times. God help us if we are complacent in the face of this great tragedy! Please join me in praying that a church with a heart for seeing boys become men will adopt this God-forsaken place post haste!

Mike Todd, also on the trip with Red Letters Campaign and Children’s Hopechest had this to say.

Kolfe quite simply is the place that broke my heart. From a physical point of view it is a hell-hole. The conditions we saw there were by far and away the worst of any of the dozen or so orphanages we visited. I was shocked, and I've made several trips to Africa. That being said, the guys we met there were incredible. Kind, cheerful, and optimistic. These are older boys - teens, even some early 20's. And this is part of the problem. I think a lot of people are willing to get involved when there are cute babies and young kids so they can put photos on their refrigerators. But these young men - they are the immediate future of their country. With education and support they will grow up to be the leaders. And without it, I worry about what they might become. At the very least they will simply become part of the problem - undereducated, underemployed men. As i said I spend a fair bit of time in Africa, so I know what a problem this can be. In my opinion it is the main problem. While in Ethiopia I spent time with cute babies and beautiful, wonderful children. That being said, it’s the boys from Kolfe who 'haunt' me, if I can say that without being too melodramatic. My bias is obviously showing, so I'll leave it at that.

Tom Davis from Children’s Hopechest had this as his take away from experience Kolfe:

Kolfe orphanage is an incredible place filled with 130 boys outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After spendingt just a few hours with the young men there, I was struck by how polite, engaging and smart they are. They are so conversational I almost didn't realize that this orphanage is situated on a dumping ground. Every window is broken out of every building except the office and the only thing more prominent than garbage and glass on the ground is the red dust that covers every square inch of this horrible place. I see two possible roads for these boys. Down the first I see future husbands, fathers, and leaders of Ethiopia. Down the second I see death. I will occasionally use hyperbole to make a point but be clear that this not one of those times.

What They Need

 

Family. The boys of Kolfe need a church family with a heart for seeing boys become men. They need role models and mentors. They need someone to see their potential and walk with them through life to help them realize it.

 

The Basics. Serving these boys begins with meeting their basic needs for survival. Today and tonight they are exposed to the elements living in dormitories that are in shambles. Their food is meager and mean non-existent.Children's Hopechestneeds to raise $25K immediately to repair housing facilities, provide beds, and buy books while we find a church sponsor. If you would like to GIVE click here and mark Kolfe orphanage as the recipient.

Update on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 10:08PM by David Held

I found some additional photos and reflection of Kolfe - such need and opportunity for these young boys/men.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

More details to come on Moses Children’s House, but here is Sam Henry’s, Red Letters Campaign, notes from his time at this orphanage:

 We start the morning off with a trip to Moses Children’s House characterized by how stark and boring it is. Tiny. And the bare walls and concrete floors are reflected in the eyes of the children they house. The home is not loveless but it’s the kind of incomplete love you find from a single parent particularly a widower who has lost the woman he loves and is still finding his way. The kitchen is barely adequate and the sustenance it offers falls far short of food for the soul. One of the girls shows us a booklet of her drawings, poems, and favorite lyrics. She dreams of being a journalist, and we talk about education knowing full well that without intervention she’s far more likely to follow the footsteps of the prostitutes who patrol the nearby street corners. My biggest concern with Moses Children’s House is that I / we will forget it. What church will help us breathe life and inspiration into these walls and these lives?

 To view more amazing photos of these children and the orphanage, please visit Mike Todd’s site. Simply amazing, how beautiful and full of hope these children portray.