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Living in Ethiopia for the year, we, the Kulbis family, have been awed and amazed by many things but among the most significant impressions has been the deep generosity of our friends and families in the US. We have been humbled by the packages sent to us from our family and friends to distribute to Ethiopia’s poor. We acknowledge and appreciate the significant time, expense, and efforts in collecting, packing, and sending the items to us for distribution. Thank you all!
We have taken the role of distributing your generous donations very seriously and have tried our best to allocate the items most effectively to folks who have limited options of receiving help from other sources. We pooled together donations received from home, primarily from Riverside, Chicago-Lithuanians, the Matulaitis Catholic Mission in Lemont, and Accenture co-workers. Here are the organizations whose individuals who have benefitted from your kindness:
Humanitarian Aid NGOs (non-government organizations)
1. Organization Against Gender-Based Violence
This is the only “Safe House” in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa. Victims of all kinds of abuse (including slavery and human trafficking) come here to recover. Toiletries, medicine, videos, games, candy, infant clothes, Christmas and Easter decorations, and monetary
donations (and even a mini Easter egg hunt) were donated here. They have also benefited from monetary donations that friends have sent us to forward. Vidas has been earning his confirmation service hours by (together with his siblings) reading to and playing with the children here every week.
2. Hope for the Blind
This organization enables 250 blind and disabled people to weave carpets and create mops to support themselves and their families. Living in Africa can be challenging—living and being blind makes it all the more difficult.
3. Arat Kilo Community Development and Child Care Association
This organization provides direct support and free childcare to the most vulnerable families of the community. Only the families earning less than $15 a month (!!) qualify for their services. All of the baby toys and many of the children’s clothes were donated here.
4. Chilanchil anti-HIV/AIDS Association
Among other activities, this youth organization supports the community by distributing flour, oil, soap, pencils, and paper to the poorest families of the community and to the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s). These OVC’s ages 4-12 years old typically have lost one or both parents and live with extended
family, neighbors, or on their own. They received many school supplies and clothes. In addition, my niece, Ziba, and the Stagg High School Social Justice Committee generously and impressively organized a fundraiser to donate money to Chilanchil.
5. Welfare for Street Mothers and Children
This worthy organization provides supports and vocational skills training for street mothers and their children. The organization has an innovative urban gardening program to help mothers grow food for their families. They received school supplies (pens, pencils, etc) and clothes.
6. Abebech Gobena Yehetsanat Orphanage
This orphanage is one of the oldest and most established orphanages in Addis Ababa. They received toys, games, medicines, and toiletries.
7. Ethiopian Deaf Association
This organization supporting deaf people received office supplies.
8. Ethiopian Diabetes Association
This organization received office supplies and alcohol swabs (for sanitized blood checking), several glucometers with a supply of test strips. Both Tadas and Lukas are Type 1 Diabetics and were privileged to speak at their annual convention after our family participated in the Ethiopian Diabetes Association parade.
Youth Sports Teams
9. St. Mary Angels girls’ soccer team
Tadas established this team for young girls
(8-12 years) to have opportunities to participate in organized sports and to promote gender equality. He named the team after St. Mary Parish of Riverside. The girls received much needed soccer cleats/sneakers, socks, uniforms, soccer balls, and candy.
10. Trinity Addis senior girls’ soccer team
Trinity High School in River Forest graciously sponsored uniforms and some cleats for this older girls soccer team. The Panerals organized a more extensive soccer cleat donations that barely squeaked past the customs officials here. The 15-17 year-old girls are impressive soccer players and are delighted with the donated soccer equipment.
Schools and Related Clubs
11. Aleltu Primary School
This primary school is located far from Addis Ababa and does not have ready access to other resources. The school’s director has impressive organizational skills and is well respected for his leadership. Many of the teacher aids, guides, templates, maps, lesson planning books, chalk, school/office supplies were donated here. The children’s books will add tremendously to their library. They also received clothes to distribute to the poorest members of their community.
12. Aleltu Secondary School
This secondary school in the same location as above received office/school supplies, teachers aids, maps, magazines,
Ruta with group of schoolkids
These kids are students at the Aleltu primary school. When they saw that we were taking a picture and there were donations, in minutes, hundreds ran to the area to see what was happening. and books.
13. Shiloh International School
Tadas was a temporary instructor at this is a very small private school, and Kovas and Vidas were instructors/teacher’s aides. The school was established by a young, energetic Kenyan man to serve the Somali refugee community who are stranded in Addis Ababa until their paperwork is processed in order to immigrate to other parts of the world. They received school supplies.
14. British International School
Our children’s school received several maps and soap for the bathrooms. The clubs that our kids started, such as Chess Club, Scouting Club, and Power Rangers Club received several final prizes, and candy from your donations.
15. 30 anti-HIV/AIDS Youth Clubs
Ruta’s organization, Talent Youth Association, supports the health and welfare of Ethiopia’s youth. They are involved in anti-HIV/AIDS behavioral prevention programs, as well as, youth employment and leadership. The organization support 61 youth clubs located in schools and community organizations. These clubs are analogous to scouting organizations in the US - they provide life-skills classes and positive outlets via music, art, sports, counseling, and mentoring for youth. Ruta asked for coworkers’ advice on which schools or clubs were the most needy. There was so much excitement over the donated items that we decided to make small packets of gifts for half of the organizations that we support. Each club received assorted items such as office/school supplies, notebooks, magazines, sanitizers, small gifts to use as prizes.
16. Talent Youth Association
Ruta’s volunteer employer also received some office supplies, notebooks, computer cords, blank CDs, and Christmas decorations.
Further, we would also like to thank the many families who send encouragement and items to our family to make our stay here more comfortable. The pick-pocketing episodes, thefts, sprained ankles, fungus infections, food poisoning, bug bites, anti-malarial medicine side effects, intestinal problems, lack of electricity and water, etc. may provide humorous stories in hindsight, but they are challenging at the moment. Your gifts of books, toiletries, chocolates, games, DVDs, prayers and well wishes were, and still are, deeply appreciated and valued. Amensegenallo, Aciu, Thank you!
Thank you for your support, generosity, Christian love and friendship!
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