Meet Amare...

My name is Amare I am 16 years old. I lost my father when I was 7 years old and after a year I lost my mother. Both were sick but I don’t know by what they died.  I have been living at Kolfe for 8 years.

Now I am a grade 8 student and I take (the) national exam 3 weeks ago. I hope I will promote to grade nine by good score because I had studied hard. I have good participation in class. I love to work any

jobs when I grow up. I was learning for two years with helping of Gladney. They paid for transportation, lunch and my school payment.

So you are my hope to learn and for my future.

With a lot of thanks

Love Amare

With the help of donors, Gladney has been supporting the boys of Kolfe for several years. Boys have been given a chance at a future, a purpose... To invest in the lives of young men like Amare, please make a tax-deductible donation by following the directions here... http://we-are-blessed-to-be-a-blessing.blogspot.com/2011/06/making-difference-in-their-future.html

Meet Mohammed....

I have asked the Kolfe boys to help us better understand what school means to them. To give us a better glimpse into who they are now, and who they want to become with the benefit of schooling. I am going to start with one of the men who is the oldest living there, but also one who is near and dear to my heart... Mohammed


What you need to understand about Kolfe Orphanage is that God's children of all ages live there. Why? Well, because their culture is so unlike ours.

Kolfe houses males of all ages, who would have NO OTHER PLACE TO LIVE, were it not for Kolfe. The age span runs from tiny 5 year olds all the way up to Mohammed. (housed on different sides of the campus) I could tell you his age, but I fear comments from some of you who might not understand their culture, so we will just leave it as... He's an adult, who would be begging on the street, hungry, hopeless and alone, if it were not for the ability to sleep in a small room at the front of Emnatu's building at Kolfe.

Mohammed has always had a special place in my heart. The very first Bible I gave to Emnatu, was later gifted to... Mohammed, when the next one I gave him (that was better) came along.

That, and his sweet, gentle spirit and quiet voice, makes him a rockstar in my eyes. I love Mohammed to pieces...

Back to his story....

"My family was very poor. When I was 5 year the worse thing happened in my life, that is car accident, I lost (the use of) my two legs. My life so complicated after this accident. My mother and I migrate to the capital city (Addis Ababa). After difficult struggle I join governmental orphanage center after few years my families (mother, father and sister) are died consecutively but I don’t know where the only my brother live, he may died. I never have seen him again.

I graduated in medical laboratory from private college but still I have no job. In Ethiopia it is difficult to get job, especially for the disabled person. Most Ethiopian disabled people are very poor and street persons. Peoples discriminate the disable person. My future in danger, I fill (feel) badly, no hope seen.

I came to kolfe before 7 years from other orphanage center. Now I am learning pharmacy in governmental college (with money provided) by Gladney. Gladney pays for my college monthly payment, transportation, books, and lunch.   I want to get a job in my field or I want to be created or start my own business. It is the best option.

I worried so much for my life; it is difficult to survive, especially for disabled person. I don’t know what to do. So please help me as soon as possible. Thank you. God bless you

~Mohammed"

This is just one of countless stories, young and old, boys and men all who have benefited from the generosity of Gladney, but now Gladney needs OUR help to continue to help them. Education in Ethiopia is EVERYTHING!!!


To make a tax deductible donation... http://we-are-blessed-to-be-a-blessing.blogspot.com/2011/06/making-difference-in-their-future.html

Changes...

I know this is long,

 but it is so important,

 please, please read...

Life is all about being flexible,

and seeing where God will lead you next.

It's a lesson I am learning.

It is a lesson Kolfe is teaching me.

Earlier this month,
plans for pillowcases were multiplying.

We were making headway on

the cost to purchase

the pillows and blankets...

and then one night God clued me in on

 a greater need for His boys.

You see, all the boys at Kolfe hope

to one day be like our son,
Emnatu, in the photo above.

He has graduated from college,

(although he is still majoring

in something else at night school

 to increase his marketability)

he even has a full time job,

in a society that has had
50% unemployment in recent years.

This is the dream
of these young men,

and all of
their Kolfe brothers.

They want an education.

They want to be successful,

they know without it,

they will have NO FUTURE.

Let's face it...

your kids and my kids will always

have mom and dad to fall back on

if they are really in a bind.

You would never
turn away your child
if they truly needed help.

These boys don't

have that luxury.

They either make a

go of this life,

or they live on the street,

hungry,

hopeless,

and alone.

So what does this have to do

 with being flexible?

Well, there have been changes

 at Kolfe this month.

Changes that will

effect the future

they so desperately desire.

For a long time they have had help

 with the cost of

schooling,

 lunches,

and transportation to class.

Gladney Adoption Agency

 has generously provided and loved

on these boys year after year,

  but they need OUR

help now to continue.

Next year they will have to

drastically

cut back on their generosity

 towards Kolfe.

I have wrestled for a month

 with the direction of this project.

 - - - - -

How do we show up in August

 and hand the kids a

 blanket and a pillow and say,

 "Hey, we know you

really want to

go to school.

I'm sorry about that,

 but here's a blanket instead!"

The answer is... we can't. 

It is not right,

we have to step in and help.

So here's the new plan

We will still:

bring 300 pillowcases,

& buy new pillows in ET,

but any funds raised beyond

the cost of pillows...

WILL GO TOWARDS

getting these boys in SCHOOL!!!

Funds will still go to Gladney,

they are still tax deductible,

but we will be raising money

to directly effect their futures.

I can hear you already...

wanting to help,

knowing that school

shouldn't be

 a luxury reserved

only for children

with parents...

but for ALL CHILDREN.

But, you want to know,

"How much do you

need to raise?"

The answer is the amount of a mountain,

 a mountain only God himself can move...

at least $40,000...

 just to maintain what Gladney

did last year,

 before the addition

of those new 100 children.

So, please pray

about effecting the lives of these

young men and boys next school year.

Because we are ALL

blessed to be a blessing...

To donate for the Kolfe schooling:

1) Send your tax-deductible check to

Gladney Center for Adoption
6300 John Ryan Dr.

Fort Worth, TX 76132-4122

Mark that it is for

Ethiopia Humanitarian Aid

 on the envelope

and write

 "Kolfe School Funding"

on the memo portion of the check.

(We would love to see God working,

so please let us know you've donated!)

2) Or you can donate on-line

(Visa fees will be taken out)

by clicking here

and following the instructions.

Instead of "Pillow Project",

type in "Kolfe School Funding".  

(We would love to see God working,

so please let us know you've donated!)