Safe House

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(Ruta writing) One of these amazing charities that is benefitting from some of the gifts and donations that you have asked us to forward is called Organization Against Gender Based Violence (a.k.a. Tsotawi Tikat Tekelakay Mahiber/TTTM). This organization supports mainly women and children who are victims of abuse. TTTM operates one of the only “safe houses” in Addis Ababa for the women who truly have no other options of where to go. Sadly, the women who come to TTTM have suffered beatings, abduction, sexual abuse, human trafficking to the Middle East, domestic violence etc. TTTM offers them food, shelter, arranges for counseling, medical care, legal assistance, etc. To better prepare the women for the future, the organization also may help teach women new skills (such as cooking), life skills (such as self confidence, assertiveness, and physical self defence), or it may provide small capital for the women to start a small business to support herself. As the director explained to me, the organization also allows the women to “take a breath, collect themselves, and decide how to move forward.” For some women, this means leaving a dangerous environment for a short time; for others, they stay at the safe house for many months - perhaps until they give birth or physically heal multiple injuries.

Our family is volunteering time at the safe house on weekends. We distribute candy and toys. The kids play volleyball, soccer, jump rope or Frisbee with the women and kids there. We read to the children, color coloring books, draw, play checkers, etc. (Thanks to our friends who have donated these games and art supplies to enable this to happen!) We have been impressed with how effectively the operations seem to run - everybody seems to pitch in to help prepare the food or wash clothes. The house is very neat and clean. The women watch out for each other - to the point that sometimes I get confused which baby belongs to which mother because different women lovingly hold each other’s babies! To me, it feels like a nurturing, healing atmosphere.

I met one woman who had just given birth 3 days earlier. She particularly made an impression on me. She showed me her newborns’ back which had a huge growth/bulge/tumor (sorry - not being a doctor, I do not know exactly what it was). The TTTM organization was trying to get the public hospital to provide medical attention right away, but they had put her on a waiting list. The young mother was obviously very worried about her baby and very anxious to do something to get help. Anyone who has given birth knows how emotional and exhausting the first days after giving birth can be. Imagine going through those first days alone, in a shelter, knowing that your baby is seriously ill, yet not being able to get proper medical attention. It’s tough.

This organization is saving money to purchase an automobile. They currently have difficulties finding taxis to go to and from hospitals and clinics at night, or transporting children to their schools. Thank you to those who have sent donations to TTTM!

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