Arrival in Ethiopia + Visit to Mary Joy
The beginning of my journey to Ethiopia was not ideal. I slept through my 3:30 am alarm and was woken to the sound of my phone ringing -- the cab company calling to find out why I missed my 4:15 am reservation. Luckily, they doubled back and I made it to my flight out of Boston (barely). Then we had a 5 hour delay in Dulles (I am forever grateful to my friend Liz for her fine companionship and generosity during the delay) and the 13 hour flight to Addis Ababa. But anyway, I am finally here in Ethiopia!
Here's me, Asha, and Liz, extremely happy to be off the flight and on the ground in Addis Ababa:
The ONE Moms team is incredible and not long after we landed at the hotel, we headed out to visit an amazing organization -- Mary Joy Aid Through Development, a nonpolitical, nonreligious, nonprofit organization devoted to supporting and empowering impoverished women, children, and families. We were introduced to this organization by the utterly delightful Maya Haile -- a member of our ONE team who is a supermodel (yes, a supermodel) and who (with her husband) sponsors 10 children at Mary Joy. (If you're interested, sponsoring a child at Mary Joy costs less than a dollar a day and will provide them with the everyday necessities that all children deserve.)
I'm getting all tech fancy; here's an audio clip of me sharing what happened at Mary Joy:
Visit to Mary Joy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by ChristineKoh
And here's the little girl I was talking about:
Image credits: 1) ONE Moms; 2) Karen Walrond; 3) ONE Moms
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I'm in Ethiopia at the kind invitation and expense of The ONE Campaign, a nonpartisan, advocacy organization dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. ONE works to convince governments (the US, as well as others) to invest in smart programs that help to eliminate poverty and preventable disease in a sustainable way. ONE never asks for your money, simply your voice.
Comments
Lovely audio piece Christine. Hope the rest of your visit is as amazing.
Posted by: Fairly Odd Mother | October 7, 2012 6:06 PM | Reply to this comment
That glow in your face - I'm so lucky to get to see it in person all day. What a beautiful retelling of the first incredible day.
Posted by: Mom101 | October 8, 2012 12:37 AM | Reply to this comment
You can't see it, but I have the biggest smile on my face knowing that you now fully understand what I meant when I told you that this trip would change you.
I can hear it in your voice and in your words!
*hugs*
Posted by: C.C. Chapman | October 8, 2012 9:41 AM | Reply to this comment
I can practically feel her weight in your lap, her hair brushing your cheek. Beautiful, Christine.
(I would also gladly get delayed at Dulles if it was with you and Liz.)
Posted by: Julie Marsh | October 8, 2012 10:41 AM | Reply to this comment
This is so powerful, Christine. Love that photo of you and hearing about Mary Joy.
Posted by: Meagan Francis | October 8, 2012 10:58 AM | Reply to this comment
What a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing your adventure with us!
Posted by: Kimberly @ Red Shutters | October 8, 2012 4:55 PM | Reply to this comment
What an incredible experience!
Posted by: Charise @ I Thought I Knew Mama | October 8, 2012 7:05 PM | Reply to this comment
What an amazing experience. I'm glad you're forever changed, but I liked you so much already.
Posted by: RookieMom Heather | October 10, 2012 12:35 PM | Reply to this comment