Our Ethiopian Adoptive Families Group has formed a friendship with the local Ethiopian Women's Society and together with Water Is Life International , they are helping to raise money to drill life changing wells in Ethiopia. We attended a fundraising dinner last weekend and had a ball. The kids just love being around this group of women and their families and I feel especially thankful that we have this connection for our Ethiopian children. You should have seen their delighted faces as they indulged in the yummiest injera they've had in a long time (mine has been flopping lately and while they tell me "it's good mommy," now that I've had the real stuff again, it just doesn't compare). Meron ate so much that she came to me after dinner and said, "mommy, I can't breave (breathe) berry (very) well."
Seeing the pictures of Trees of Glory last week and the hope that clean water brings to a community makes me really appreciate the fact that we never have to worry if our water is safe for our children, or available for that matter. We were without water for a few hours while we replaced our hot water heater last month (a birthday present from my parents--thank you very much--I do so enjoy a hot shower) and just that short time without water was inconvenient. I can't imagine how difficult life is without a clean source of water.
It also makes me really motivated to spread the word and do more to help others.
We have good friends that are doing amazing work in Malawi, Africa to bring water for irrigation and drinking to farmers there-changing whole communities and allowing them to become self-sustainable. Their organization is called Africa Windmill Project. They are using very basic supplies that are readily available in Malawi (sack, sticks and bike tires) to make a very major difference. One of my favorite parts about their story is that after taking a mission trip to Malawi, John (founder of AWP) was so inspired to help that he actually went home and constructed a windmill in his backyard to see if it was a feasible option in Malawi. It was, and now they are training farmers in building and maintaining these windmill wells. Here's an excerpt taken from their blog detailing "what they do":
Africa Windmill Project focuses on educating and supporting rural farmers as they work to feed and care for their families. We do this by working directly with the farmers and by supporting other organizations as they work with farmers. Currently Africa Windmill Project is focused in the Central Region of Malawi. Africa Windmill Project's programs directly influence The UN Millennium Development Goals: End Poverty and Hunger, Gender Equality, Child and Maternal Health. AWP indirectly impacts the remaining goals; Combat HIV/AIDS, Environmental Sustainability, and Global Partnership and Universal Education. These areas of focus are critical.The desperate need for clean water around the world often seems overwhelming, but if we each do just a little bit, it can really add up and together we can make a difference in the lives of many.
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