Cheekychops
30-09-2007, 17:40
Here is an opportunity to reach out to a community of people with a strong vibrant culture, but who barely have the means to survive daily life!!
A team of us are going over to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to do some mission work. While there we will be volunteering at an organization called the Godanaw project which is set up to help single mothers who have come from tragic situations – often rape. The centre teaches them new skills in the hope that they will one day be able to go out and support themselves, their child, and each other. It also has a youth drop in centre and a street feeding program. There is an orphanage and kindergarten associated also.
Secondly, we will be visiting the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital which treats women from Ethiopia who have developed obstetric fistula’s due to complications during childbirth often from a lack of available medical treatment. As you can imagine this is a horrible condition for these women and sometimes even young girls to endure at any time, let alone just after losing their baby. :crying: We are hoping to be able to present each woman at the hospital at the time of our visit (usually the average patient number is approx 220) with a small ‘care package’ containing items such as: soap; moisturizing lotion; a washer; socks, undies or singlet; a piece of jewelry such as a necklace or bracelet; and other small items to help these women feel special. :hugs:
We will be paying our own way over to Ethiopia and have been doing and will continue to do fundraising to enable us to take money for building maintenance and aid – we are hoping to raise $12 000 in addition to material aid. We will be taking as much aid from Australia as we can get on the airplane (they allow 10kg per passenger but we will also be travelling very lightly to use as much of our own luggage allowance for aid as possible).
I have written to almost 100 companies asking for donations of small bottles or samples of things like moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner etc, and other companies for things such as pens, bracelets and other small items. A couple (mostly smaller companies, or people from those companies making personal donations) have donated items such as: washers, rose scented soap, heel cream, pens and some moisturizer, however we still need a couple more items to go in the care packs, and also something to carry them in (eg. A large organza bag or similar). We would love to be able to give a pack to every patient so are aiming to take 220.
Any amount of these type of items would be much appreciated… I have one lady personally buying 100 moisturising sachets from her ‘business’ (like a catalogue/party plan type representative) to contribute, and another giving 80 pens. So even if you have access to this type of product, and would like to contribute only 10 – that is a big help. We want these girls who have suffered horrendous medical conditions, and have nothing to feel special and get something they never in their life would have the means to buy… something so simple to us like a pen, or moisturizer!!
The other items I have been trying to get donated are items for the babies and orphans at the Godanaw project that I mentioned first. I would love to be able to take a ‘No Touch’ thermometer or two over for them. As you can imagine it would play a huge part in the prevention of infection spreading if they could take the childrens temperatures without contacting the child at all. Also, and nappy creams, baby products or nappies would be of massive help over there.
Thank you in to those who made it through my long post. And thank you in advance to those that think they can help. :kiss: I look forward to hearing from you.
If you have something to send, please let me know and I’ll pm you a postal address.
Janelle (on behalf of the Ethiopia Mission Team)
A team of us are going over to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to do some mission work. While there we will be volunteering at an organization called the Godanaw project which is set up to help single mothers who have come from tragic situations – often rape. The centre teaches them new skills in the hope that they will one day be able to go out and support themselves, their child, and each other. It also has a youth drop in centre and a street feeding program. There is an orphanage and kindergarten associated also.
Secondly, we will be visiting the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital which treats women from Ethiopia who have developed obstetric fistula’s due to complications during childbirth often from a lack of available medical treatment. As you can imagine this is a horrible condition for these women and sometimes even young girls to endure at any time, let alone just after losing their baby. :crying: We are hoping to be able to present each woman at the hospital at the time of our visit (usually the average patient number is approx 220) with a small ‘care package’ containing items such as: soap; moisturizing lotion; a washer; socks, undies or singlet; a piece of jewelry such as a necklace or bracelet; and other small items to help these women feel special. :hugs:
We will be paying our own way over to Ethiopia and have been doing and will continue to do fundraising to enable us to take money for building maintenance and aid – we are hoping to raise $12 000 in addition to material aid. We will be taking as much aid from Australia as we can get on the airplane (they allow 10kg per passenger but we will also be travelling very lightly to use as much of our own luggage allowance for aid as possible).
I have written to almost 100 companies asking for donations of small bottles or samples of things like moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner etc, and other companies for things such as pens, bracelets and other small items. A couple (mostly smaller companies, or people from those companies making personal donations) have donated items such as: washers, rose scented soap, heel cream, pens and some moisturizer, however we still need a couple more items to go in the care packs, and also something to carry them in (eg. A large organza bag or similar). We would love to be able to give a pack to every patient so are aiming to take 220.
Any amount of these type of items would be much appreciated… I have one lady personally buying 100 moisturising sachets from her ‘business’ (like a catalogue/party plan type representative) to contribute, and another giving 80 pens. So even if you have access to this type of product, and would like to contribute only 10 – that is a big help. We want these girls who have suffered horrendous medical conditions, and have nothing to feel special and get something they never in their life would have the means to buy… something so simple to us like a pen, or moisturizer!!
The other items I have been trying to get donated are items for the babies and orphans at the Godanaw project that I mentioned first. I would love to be able to take a ‘No Touch’ thermometer or two over for them. As you can imagine it would play a huge part in the prevention of infection spreading if they could take the childrens temperatures without contacting the child at all. Also, and nappy creams, baby products or nappies would be of massive help over there.
Thank you in to those who made it through my long post. And thank you in advance to those that think they can help. :kiss: I look forward to hearing from you.
If you have something to send, please let me know and I’ll pm you a postal address.
Janelle (on behalf of the Ethiopia Mission Team)