Preventing a child from becoming an orphan – Part 2

by Jeff Butler
Adoption Ministry 1:27 Program Director
Jeff recently returned from Ethiopia where he visited many of the families in our Adoption Ministry 1:27 sponsor program, both in Korah and in Dembidollo.  In part two of this series, Jeff shares about the hope brought to a single mother through sponsorship.





This young mother is named Shibre Setarge.  She is pictured with her little baby girl, Hymanot.  Shibre struggles to survive by begging in Korah, the community at the garbage dump in Addis Ababa. .

When I last saw her in April 2011, she was in intense pain as a result of an abscessed tooth.  She was in so much pain she wasn’t able to effectively nurse her baby.  Some from our YWAM Team took her to a local dentist to be treated.  They also provided a bed for her and her baby to sleep on.  When I saw her again recently, she looked like a different woman!

 


 This was the first time I had ever seen her smile!  Both Shibre and her little girl seemed much happier and healthy!  One of the members of our Missions Team who took her to the dentist also stepped up and “adopted” this little family through our Adoption Ministry 1:27 Program.  Shibre has been receiving food and necessary supplies to live.  Not only are Shibre and her baby getting good food and support, but she has been able to start a small charcoal selling business!

 

 
One of the long range goals of Adoption Ministry 1:27 is to provide the families within the program with income-generating activities so they can get on their feet and sustain themselves!  Shibre is a great example of how lives can be helped and changed by families in America, partnering with the local Ethiopian church, to care for the poor.  Caring for Shibre and her baby keeps this little family together.  Keeping this family together helps to prevent one more child from becoming an orphan.  This is what Jesus has called us to do!
 
Be sure to read Part 1 in this series here.

Would you like to sponsor an at-risk or guardian family in Ethiopia? For $40 per month, you can help change the quality of life of a very poor family and also prevent a child from becoming orphaned. We match families in the United States with a family in Ethiopia who has been identified by church leaders there as ‘at-risk’ of collapse or those willing to take in an orphaned child.  You can read more about our program here.  Contact us at:

jamie(at)adoptionministry(dot)net

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