Sponsored Children
Other Projects
COMMUNITY CENTER
> Saturday tutoring, health classes, character-building stories for sponsored children based on Bible stories
> Computer lab
> Library with 1200+ books in Afaan Oromo and English
> Meeting room and classroom
> Playground
WATER PROJECT
> Solar-powered generator for efficiency and low cost for villagers
> Clean spring water supplied to more than 2700 people in 4 villages
HEALTH PROJECT
> Medical team leads focus groups to determine villagers’ concerns
> Visits families in 6 villages to assess needs
> Team holds teaching sessions about prevention of diseases identified by villagers
> Chlorine tablets distributed for water purification
BRIDGE OVER THE WADECHA RIVER
> Pedestrian bridge built at the request of the community to link villages to schools, market, medical care during the rainy season
> No people or animals have died in the river since its completion in 2014 by U.S. HMCHA volunteers and villagers
SCIENCE / MATH CAMP FOR GRADES 8-10
> One-week camp held annually to help prepare students for the rigors of high school taught in a different language
> Time management, study skills, budgeting are part of the curriculum in addition to science experiments and math practice
> In high school, students leave their communities to live alone. Camp teaches them independent living skills
SEWING PROJECT
The new sewing project gives destitute villagers and students who have passed 8th grade but who are struggling to pass 9th grade the chance to learn a valued skill and earn a living. This 3-month course leads to employment in a factory or to having their own business. They can pay for their own sewing machine with their earnings after they are working.
SQUEALS OF DELIGHT AT FIRST SIGHT OF THE PLAYGROUND
On a warm Saturday in February, 85 children patiently listened, mouths open in awe, as Gemeda and Endalew explained a few rules about using the strange apparatus in front of them. Then, like ants scurrying from one colorful leaf to another, they dashed from swing to slide to another slide to monkey bars to as fast as their legs would carry them. Up and down and flying into the air they went. Parents pointed and laughed out loud as their children experienced something completely unknown in their world for the first time. It was noisy! It was busy! It was joyful!
