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Published: April 8th 2012
This morning we visited Korah. Korah is an 80 year old community located in the city trash dump, and is considered the poorest community in Addis Ababa. 130,000 people live in Korah, a majority of them battling HIV or Leporsy, making them "outcasts" and "untouchables." Korah originally formed because the one and only Leporsy Hospital in all of Africa was opened 80 years ago in Addis Ababa. People suffering from leporsy came from all over for treatment. Many of the patients couldn't continue making the journey back and forth so they tried to move to the city close to the hospital, however the Emperor said they were not allowed in the city but they could go live in the city trash dump. So they made the dump their home, and it became home to many generations to follow. Many diseases and sicknesses are rampant in the dump, and HIV is a serious threat.
While in Korah we visited Mission Ethiopia, where 36 women living in the community, who were at one point begging, prostituting or rummaging through the trash dump to find food, but are now employed full time. They make scarves, ornaments, beads and jewelry, generating income to support their family. Each of these 36 women have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and look to Him as their provider. Praise God.
A woman named Amsam who worked at Mission Ethiopia invited us to her home for a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. We entered the 8x8 mud home and formed a tight circle around the burning coals. Amsam told us her story.....she had come to Korah to get treatment for her leporsy. She made a home in the trash dump, and would wait for the trash trucks to arrive in the dump so she could rummage through for food to feed her 4 children. She could never find enough food. A number of people told her about Jesus but she was so hungry she didn't want to listen. All she could think about was food and where she was going to get some. Her mud hut was located across the street from Great Hope Church, where one day she wandered in to hear about this Jesus......
I am happy to report that Amsam now knows Jesus, trusts in Him as her provider, and is no longer fighting leporsy. She has been treated and has only lost parts of her fingers. However, in Ethiopina culture, once a lepor, always a lepor. Our time together ended with tears pouring out of her eyes as she thanked us for coming to her home and she asked if we would pray that one day she would get a house so her children don't have to have the same life that she had. We bowed our heads, and thanked the Lord for who He is and what He is doing in Amsam's life, and allowing our paths to cross. I will never forget her face.
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Kiki
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God bless you
I was touched to hear this story, I was born in Ethiopia and moved to US 10 years ago. I was in addis last summer, it was great. I currently went to college for public health and was looking for jobs down there. There was no success so I came back. My hope is I would be able to find a job with UN or some NGO and help out people who are in desparete need as well as share the Gospel. I just want to say thank you for sharing this story it really made me think and refocus on why I am doing what I am doing and reason for being on Earth. What's funny is I attended lecture on "missions" at my local church called Hope fellowship last night and today this article. Well, enough said, keep doing what you are doing and will pray for you.