With the start of the new month, will come the start of the new school year for our ACTS kids in Ethiopia. We look forward to the return of our KG1 and KG2 students from last year and are enrolling a new class of KG1 kids at both schools.
Thankfully, we have had some favorable response to our call for additional sponsors as we continue to strive to get each of the four hundred students funded. Depending on the final enrollment numbers for this new school years, we project that we are still in need of fifty sponsors.
Since our last report we have received feedback from our in-country partners about two events that we want to share with you.
In June we had our third formal graduation ceremony saying goodbye to our oldest kids as they prepare to attend government school this fall. For little ones to receive any individual special recognition in these impoverished communities is unique so smiles abounded. The parents and family members attended the ceremony and it was an honor for them.
Then in July, on the fourth interestingly enough, the children were taken on their first field trip. When we applied for our NGO (non-government organization) a couple of years ago, part of our proposal included exposing the children to things outside of their daily experiences. This summer we were able to follow through on this commitment by taking the kids on a bus trip to Lake Langano about two hours away from their homes. Here is what our in-country director, Woudineh reported in his words.
“Our kids were taken for a one day ‘educational trip’ to Langano area park. They were 4 buses full with parents committee, and staff. The joy of that day was vivid on the faces of both parents and children. The whole town was full of ‘elilta’ the sound of ‘elililili…,’ and Ethiopian way of expressing joy. The feeling of the parents were unexpected on our side. They felt their kids were crowned kings and queens. Almost all of them have never left Koshe/Woja let alone sitting in a bus and travel so long distance.”
From time to time some of you ask about sending a gift to your child or children. We sometimes try to discourage this as giving one or two children something that the others don’t get can cause unhappiness and/or jealousy. Karen has recently been working with an organization called Because International. They manufacture a product that is called, the shoe that grows. The shoes are durable and adjustable so can be continually worn as the child’s foot grows. While our budget does not allow us to purchase shoes for each child, we thought that a new pair of shoes would be a wonderful Christmas gift if enough sponsors were interested in donating towards this gift idea. If shoes are purchased in bulk (100 pair or more) the cost is $15 per pair.
Finally, in addition to praying for your children, please pray for Woudineh, the teachers and the staff as they prepare for the start of a new school year. And remember, as you start your personal Christmas shopping, that ACTS gets ½ of 1% on anything that you buy from Amazon Smile if you designate ACTS as your preferred charity. Visit smile.amazon.com and select Africa Community Transformation Services, Inc. in Fresno, California as your designated charity.
If you haven’t already seen our recent video, we suggest that you go to You Tube – ACTS Mission in Ethiopia – Full or https://youtu.be/rjzyveE9mM. In viewing this short film, you will get a closer look at the children and get a feel for their environment. Lots of smiley, healthy faces thanks to your contributions!
In Christ’s love and in ours,
Karen and Bill Cornell
Isaiah 58:10-11 “if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as noonday. And the Lord will guide your continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and
make your bones strong; you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”