by Meryl Ashworth & Elizabeth Barley
10 February 2011

IT STARTED TO RAIN AGAIN, and Kidist sat in the dark listening fearfully. She couldn’t sleep and neither could her brothers and sisters. Last year the dwelling behind their house was swept away when the river flooded. They feared the same calamity would happen to them when the river flooded again. Though desperate for sleep, the dread of what might happen kept her awake for long hours before she finally closed her eyes from exhaustion. In the morning she went to school, heavy-eyed. Praise God it hadn’t happened last night. But would it happen tonight? Tomorrow night?

Kidist’s parents died when she was very young—her mother when she was just one year old, and her father when she was three years old, both from AIDS. Her oldest brother, Shewangizaw, left school in grade 8 in order to support his younger brother and three sisters. With three of them at school, there wasn’t enough money for food and education for everyone. Although education was crucial for their future prospects in life, they needed food now.

So they approached the local government, and the officials directed them to SIM Urban Ministry in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2005 Kidist was accepted into the Orphan Support project which paid for her school fees, educational materials, and uniform.

She received new clothing and shoes twice a year and also some money towards her food expenses. She regularly attended the weekly Bible program for the children and the social worker shared the gospel with her family members.

By early 2008, Kidist (pictured left) was 14 years old and in Grade 6. She dreamt of becoming a doctor; wanting to help people with heart problems because she had seen their difficulties.

	Original dwelling of Kidist and her siblings

However, Kidist and her siblings still lived in the tiny, one-roomed house that backed onto a stream that became a raging river during the rainy season. The bed in the house took up much of the room, and with a sofa and an armchair, there was very little space in which to move. Each night Kidist’s two brothers lay on the bed. After moving the armchair to create a little space, the three girls lay on the floor to sleep. They lived in continual fear of their house and themselves being swept away.

By February 2009, through the generosity of donors, the Orphan Support team built a new house (pictured) for Kidist and her family. Made of cement, it is much more secure than their previous dwelling. It now consists of two rooms, one on top of the other, so they have more space. Best of all, when the rains come, they no longer live in fear!

In 2010 even more progress came for Kidist and her siblings. The Orphan Support project agreed to help them start a business so they could become independent of SIM support. Here is a video of the team purchasing and delivering a fridge to get her started: Kidist's Fridge.

	New home for Kidist and her siblings

Kidist’s older brother, Dereje, was equipped to run a little shop selling milk and frozen snacks, usually bought by children on their way home from school. In October 2010, Kidist graduated from the project. This business will help provide the financial support that she and her siblings need.

Today the family of young people is so confident of their financial position that they are keeping Kidist in a good community school. (The project would have sent her to a cheaper government school because of financial constraints.) Praise the Lord for His wonderful provision!

Please pray with us for thousands of children just like Kidist and her siblings—for emotional, mental, and spiritual vitality and resilience. We thank you for your partnership with Orphan Support in Addis Ababa. We could not do it without you!

photos by Melissa Lukenbaugh