June 2010

2010 Update

“In life you require only two things - a bed and a pair of shoes.  If you are not in one then you are in the other”.

Many of the people we were due to meet over the next three weeks had neither, your donations and generosity helped to resolve this.

Where to start?  As in 2008 our friend Jane came with us and once again her teaching and culinary skills were most welcome.

As with all our trips to Bahir Dar we have mixed emotions on arrival, eager to hear news about individuals, and apprehensive as the news is not always good.  This year sadly we had news of the death of one of the school teachers and a fatal accident involving Ato Habtu, the manager of the local orphanage, as well as the passing of Sister’s dogs.  More about this later.

As with the rest of the world the recession has hit Ethiopia hard and prices once again have increased.  Your generous donations do not stretch as far as we would like but you will see in this newsletter how, thanks to you, the lives of many have changed.  Many of the people through your funding are now self-sufficient and are helping their neighbours who are in need.  It never fails to amaze us how people with very little are always looking out for others less fortunate -  maybe a lesson for us all.